Lessons in Latin
by Lady Cleo
Summary: Being dead for a moment, whether you remember or not, always has consequences. A continuation off the story ‘Bound.’
1. Caput Unus

Lessons in Latin.

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

Being dead for a moment (whether you remember or not) always has consequences. A continuation off the story '_Bound' _with Jayne/River romantic implications and actions; if that disgust move away. Drama/Angst/Supernatural with a touch of Latin and **Death**… Thereby CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED: So either grab a teddy bear, some tissues, your handy dandy security blanket, or turn round right now and go read one of my fluffy fics as the Dark Muse totally took over this one.

In an effort to save you from reading translations of the Latin I tired to work them all into the story, but some you'll have to find at the bottom. And also this is was very Latin intensive but in interest of saving time, myself from hours of translating, and you from reading a very long appendix… italics also represent Latin. Just assume that River and Jayne are atomically translating the Latin to English in their heads.

Big Thanks to Twitchy Louie, the wonderful Beta.

Caput, unus.

-

The red droplet fell from her hand, soaking into the white linen that surrounded them both. With a trembled sob still on her lips River… no it was Telphusa, pressed harder against the sword wound and sent a tearful prayer to the gods, begging for mercy, "_Fiat justitia ruat caelum, eum parcus_." Her voice cracked from the strain of her tears and she shook her head in disbelief, franticly pressing hard against the flow of red.

A rough hewn hand rose silently from her side reaching out towards her in plea. She dared not take her hands from the wound but turned her gaze to meet his cloudy eyes, trying to keep the fear from her trembling voice "_Non est tanti…_"

His lips trembled as he took a shaky breath and reached downward; pulling one of her hands from the wound he brought the red stained palm to his lips, "_Aliquando bonmus dormitat homerus_. _Mors ianua vitae._" With a shaky breath his eyes lolled shut.

Sobbing blindly River collapsed against him, ""_Vive, vale, obsecro… vive_." But the shallow breaths coming from his pale lips were growing weaker, and the red seeped from his body too quickly, soaking into her haven, destroying all that she had built around her in one fell swoop.

"_Si sic omnes… si sic omnes?_" Lifting her face from his chest she directed her tears towards the heavens once again, "_Si sic omnes…"_

"River?"

The girl genius screamed as Simon's voice broke her from the dark dream. Wrenching herself away from the red River forced her eyes to open back to the dimly lit interior of the small room. Launching away from the comforting hands of Simon, she tumbled awkwardly to the cold floor.

"Mei-mei, it's okay, it was just a dream. You're alright." Simon assured as he hurried after her, reaching out to her.

"Janus, not Jayne, Janus, was Janus. The red, it was Janus." She sobbed huddling into a tight ball as she fought off the comforting hands of Simon. Pressing her palms into her eyes until she could only see dizzying white spots, she fought to calm her breathing, trying to wipe away the haunting images of red. "Don't like the red, don't want the red. _Animus meminisse horret… Animus meminisse horret. _Don't want it_."_

"It's okay now, it was just a dream. It's all over."

River ignored the words, rocking herself back and forth, "Not a dream; never is. Ends too quickly, swords or guns and blades or bullets, always come before the end. Always come with fire and brimstone, never after, always before." Pulling her face away from her hands she turned her head to gaze at Simon through the waves of brown hair, her panicked eyes pleading with him as she reached franticly for him. "Won't happen, won't let it happen this time. Going to grow old, going to have little dreams. See the grey; love the grey! No Red this time … No Red!" She cried out.

Simon frowned worriedly and reached out to pull her over to him, wrapping her gently in his embrace. A heart wrenching sob ripped from her lungs as she buried herself in her brother's arms. "Promise me Simon, promise me no red!"

"No red, mei-mei, there won't be anymore red." Simon shushed her quietly, smoothing down the wild waves of brown.

Sniffling slightly River hiccupped and pulled back from her older brother, a smile cracking her miserable expression, "Liar." She whispered and buried her face back against his chest. "There's always red."

-

Sword brandished on high, Jayne swung the glint of silver down, slicing deep into the man's exposed throat. Freeing the blade quickly he spun around with ease. A Germanic cry spilt through the clang of battle, but with a quick precision thrust the cry was cut short and the man fell back, the red of his blood staining the glint of silver. Snarling at the image Jayne stepped over the body. Around him the screams of battle were slowly dying down, the battlefield crawling with victorious red as his Legion quickly stomped out any remaining voice of rebellion.

"_Legatus Legionis_ _Titius_ _Janus?_" The frantic cry lifted Jayne's head from his thoughts and he turned to face the oncoming rider. The younger man pulled his horse to a stumbling halt and leapt from his saddle. Pulling out a rolled parchment he saluted and held forth the item, "_Ab patra tua et Senator Octavius Quintus Tanicus." _

"_Senator Tanicus?" _Jayne stared down at the parchment for a second before confidently reaching out to take the item. Whatever news, good or bad, he would not show weakness in front of his men...

"Gorram it, Jayne, you listening to me?"

Pulling himself out of the vision, the mercenary startled, glancing around quickly as he tired to regain his bearings. "Huh?"

"I said I don't wanna be on this rock for longer then I have to, dong ma?" Mal barked angrily as the group of four gathered on the ramp. Just a few steps away the busy streets of Persephone bustled with life, the cling and clatter of wares and sellers calling to the group. "Zoe and I are gonna go settle the deal with Badger, Wash you get what we need, and Jayne… ammunitions running low. Stock up, got it?" Mal didn't wait for confirmation but turned and started off, Zoe in tow.

Wash glanced quickly over at the mercenary before turning and starting back into the cargo bay to fetch the mule. Shaking his head, Jayne ambled off in the direction of the munitions shop, trying to keep his thoughts clear of the lingering images that bounced around his head.

"Gorram ruttin dreams." The mercenary muttered under his breath, glaring at one of the little street urchins as the child darted into his path. It was bad enough that they haunted his nights, these visions of a world he couldn't understand but felt he knew, but now to start haunting his days too, it was enough to drive a man crazy.

_Ab patra tua et Senator Octavius Quintus Tanicus. _What the hell was that supposed to mean? Two seconds ago he could have sworn that the words had a legitimate meaning, that the foreign language was one he'd spoken since birth… but now the words bounced around his head, trying to formulate a meaning, but slipping out of his grasp before he could catch a hold.

'_Ab father tua et Senator…'_

'_From your patra et Senator…'_

'_From your father and Senator Octavius Quintus Tanicus.' _The words struck him suddenly, crashing through his conscious like a tidal wave. His stomach lurched, pain stinging behind his eyes as he stumbled blindly, crashing against the nearest wall as his head spun.

Just as suddenly as it had appeared, the pain passed, the words slipping from his head; stolen from his memory banks before they could burn an impression. Shaking off the experience, Jayne straightened and moved slowly down the streets once again. "Ain't trying that again." Turning the last corner he pushed open a small door and stepped into the familiar scent of weapons and ammunition.

"Jayne." The familiar man behind the counter greeted with a greedy tooth grin, the remnants of a cigar clenched tightly between his lips. Reaching under the counter the owner pulled out a notepad as Jayne approached. "Be having the usual order?"

"Throw in some extra of the regulars, had us a few runs in lately." Jayne declared moving past the man to gaze down into the glass cases. The metallic sparkle of silver brought a sadistic grin to his face as he examined each new toy with a hungry eye. "Ain't a one as good as Vera, but a couple of fine pieces…" He murmured to himself. The owner shrugged, used to the comment, and turned away disappearing into a backroom leaving the mercenary to wander down the rows of weapons.

Running a thumb across his lower lip Jayne turned away from the cases to glance over at the wall and froze. Low in the shadows, just within reach, sat a familiar silver blade. Without realizing what he was doing Jayne reached out to the blade, pulling the heavy object from its place. The ivory handle gleamed in contrast against the dark wood grain it was inlaid with, and the sparkle of silver caught the few beams of light that managed to penetrate the musty old store.

Grasping the handle with both hands the mercenary lifted the blade into view. Without thinking he swung the blade in a smooth, wide arc, slicing cleanly through the air. "Cuts like smooth water."

"You're the first man that's picked that up since I put it there." The shopkeeper declared as he lugged out the boxes of ammunition and set them up on the counter. "Ain't never gonna get rid of that one. Had it for near a year now…"

Jayne grinned, swing the blade to his left he flipped it easily in the air, catching it again with an ease and skill he'd never before felt. "A full tang construction, high-carbon blade with wood handle inlaid with ivory. High polished steel spacer at the bottom of the handle for strength and durability just like Verus..."

The man looked up from tallying the bill at Jayne's words, "How you know so much 'bout that antique. Figured you for a gun and knife man, not one for one of them fancible, dressy swords."

"Ain't no antique!" Jayne barked back, "This here's a fine piece of metal; it'll slice the head off any rebellious dog." Swinging the blade quickly through the air, Jayne grinned, eyes sparkling with admiration. "Ain't gonna find no finer weapon this side of the empire!"

"Empire? Heard Alliance called lots, but never Empire."

Jayne startled out of his thoughts and turned to glance at the elder man, "Empire? Ain't that what I said, Alliance?"

-

"You need to eat, mei-mei, it'll make you feel better."

River didn't look up from the bowl as Simon gently tried to coax her into touching the bowl of rice. Staring down at the contents with puffy, red eyes she sniffled in disdain and pushed the bowl away, turning her face away from Simon's pleading eyes to where Kaylee was finishing up the lunch dishes.

"Looks like I ain't the only one woke up on the wrong side of the bed." Mal muttered as he stepped down into the galley, Zoe following a step behind him.

Glancing over the two and failing to spot any bleeding or protruding body parts, Simon frowned. "I'm guessing your deal went fine."

"That it did." Mal grinned as he stepped over to pour himself a cup of coffee. Zoe collapsed into a chair as Kaylee moved away from the kitchen. "We'll be getting off this rock soon as Wash and Jayne get back."

"Jayne's already back, Captain, he's storing the ammunition." The engineer answered. Moving into the chair opposite of River and Simon she smiled worriedly at the girl. "You feelin' alright, River?"

"Just bad dreams." Simon explained briefly before turning his attention back to his younger sister, "_Animus meminisse horret… _What does that mean?" River slowly lifted her head, but didn't answer. Her eyes fell restlessly to the door as Jayne stepped down into the galley carrying a long package. "River…"

"Means I can't bear to think 'bout it; what the hell else could it mean." Jayne interrupted the doctor's questioning as he set his package on the table and carefully began un-wrapping the contents. He ignored the startled looks of the crew, "Damn doc's going senile!"

"What'cha got there Jayne?" Kaylee inquired cheerfully.

Lifting the sheathed blade from the paper, Jayne grinned holding it up to the light for all to see, "Ain't she a beaut?" Unsheathing the blade he swung it a short arc, eyes adoring the glint of silver as the rest of the crew watched in disbelief. "She's goin' up next ta Vera. Looks just like Verus, don't she?"

"What the hell you going to do with that thing?" Mal questioned as he stepped out of the kitchen and over to the table.

"Hell, Mal, ain't a finer weapon to be had." Jayne quickly defended, "It'll slice clear through a man's guts, sever a head quicker then any of them longer blades. Ain't near as messy as a gun neither but just as quick to end a fight."

The captain startled, understanding flashing across his face, "You ain't bringin' that thing on a job!"

Jayne chuckled; grasping the weight of the sword with both hands he thrust the blade forward, then flipped it in his hands, slicing through the air with a smooth grace. "Wouldn't think of it, Mal," the captain relaxed for a second. "Don't wanna muss it up, ain't got the proper cleaning kit for it yet."

Frowning Simon watched the mercenary swing the blade, "I'm curious… how did you of all people learn to use such a weapon?" Simon inquired, turning away from his sister.

River pushed back from her chair, slowly rising from the table.

"Ain't hard at all, doc," Jayne answered back. "Sides, I'm a man of all weapons, guess it just comes ta me naturally." Zoe raised a weary eyebrow in response to the comment and exchanged a quick glance with the captain.

"Remembers from other days." River whispered in response, moving around the table she reached out towards the blade. The dinning room suddenly jumped to life as Mal, Simon and Zoe all spontaneously reached out towards the crazy girl.

Grabbing River by the shoulders Simon pulled her away, "No, mei-mei." He gently admonished as the Captain and Zoe both let out a relieved sigh. "That's dangerous…" Simon started to say, guiding River back down to her chair.

"What ya'll so worked up 'bout?" Jayne demanded, interrupting the doctor. "Ain't like she's never held one 'fore."

"What in the hell are you talking 'bout Jayne!" Mal demanded with an accusing glare. "Ain't no reason for that girl to be holding blades, and I don't wanna hear bout you letting her…"

"Weren't here Mal, was back in Palatine. Long for you came along."

"Palatine... where? What the hell are you talking about? Ain't no planet called Palatine."

Jayne rolled his eyes and turned to face the captain, "Ain't no gorram planet, it's one of the seven hills, Mal. You know that. My pa gave me that house on it after I was promoted to Legatus."

"_Adversus solem ne loquitor_." River interrupted suddenly, her eyes trained on Mal as the captain gazed down at his mercenary with a befuddled expression.

The mercenary swung back around to glare down at River, "_Nec temere nec timide_." The room went silent in response, all eyes but River's trained on the angry mercenary as he sheathed the sword.

"Uh, mind repeating that in English!"

"Gorram it, Mal, was speaking English." Jayne barked. "Whole ships gone cockeyed. She said 'Don't waste your time auguring the obvious' and I said, 'mind your own business." Turning away from the table, Jayne started for his bunk, "Entire gorram ship's going mad."

A moment of awkward silence followed after the mercenary's retreat before Mal finally cleared his throat and spoke up. "What the hell is going on with my mercenary?" He demanded turning his attention to the silent doctor. "Don't get me wrong doc, its real amusing listening to them two exchange pleasantries in some odd language an' all, but it ain't right when my hired weapon starts spewing gibberish in a foreign language, bringing home ancient weapons and talking about some hill that don't exist! Is this some kind of after effect from being dead?"

"I honestly don't know;" Simon answered with a long drawn out sigh as he rubbed the temples of his forehead. "I'm a doctor, not a psychologist! I honestly don't know how the experience may have damaged his psyche. The brain scans we did were clear of abnormal activity but…"

"Subconscious remembers." River interrupted. Her head titling as she gazed off into the distance, ignoring the glances the gathered crew gave her. "Remembers things he shouldn't, remembers too much of Janus."

"Who's Janus?" Zoe questioned.

"He was power with a sword!" Frowning she reached for her bowl of rice and gazed down at the contents. "Father thought it would be best. Needed the power of the sword to match the quill; made sense to join the two." Shaking her head she pushed the bowl away again. "But it didn't make sense when time twisted and the Tiber was crossed." Lifting her head she met the gazes of the crew slowly, her voice trembling slightly, "Lost it all because he was power with a sword… It was there on her hands, tearing apart the seams, leaving nothing but the girl for a second."

"I don't understand what you're talking about, mei-mei. Do you mean Jayne? Is that what you mean by power with a sword? Do you mean when he died for those few minutes and you…" But the words failed Simon and he reached across the table to take her hands. "What happened that day mei-mei? Why did you follow after him?"

River's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Couldn't not, it's always red Simon. Don't want it to be, but it always is._ Si Sic Omnes?"_

Simon furrowed his eyebrows, trying to translate the passage in his head, "Why… Why couldn't it last forever? What do you mean by that? Why couldn't what last forever?" He questioned his sister, the rest of the table watching the exchange silently.

Smiling sweetly River leaned forward and gently kissed her brother on the cheek, "Don't worry, Simon. It isn't time yet. She'll let you know when the Tiber's crossed again." Pushing back from the table, River stood and started for her bunk pausing for a second by the Captain. "Wouldn't understand that he was power with a sword, always power… but power always falls when the bad comes long, always falls for the coursing river." That said she moved away, disappearing into the dark shadows of the ship.

"What in ruttin' hell did that mean?"

Simon frowned, "I… I honestly don't know."

-

"_Facies tua computat annos, old man." _Janus grinned as he stepped forward to greet the elder man dressed in the white toga.

"_I would not speak if I were you." _Senator Tanicus answered, eagerly clasping the soldier's shoulder in a friendly greeting. _"The years have not been kind to you either." _Turning away from the villa's gates, the graying man led the younger one forward through the lush green courtyard to a smaller back room. _"Near to four decades and not an heir to speak of…"_

Janus laughed, _"I count myself lucky that no whore has dropped one on my doorstep."_

The senator chuckled in response, "_The gods have blessed you thus far; that is something your father and I both agree on, but the gods will not always be so kind. It is time for you to cast your eye on a legitimate heir."_ Turning away from the commander, the senator motioned in the air. A young servant girl appeared suddenly, carrying two goblets of dark red liquid. Handing them to her master she disappeared back into the halls of villa. _"You've not met my daughter…"_

"_Octavia? I've had that misfortune."_ Janus interrupted, accepting the drink he took a quick swig before turning back toTanicus. "_Did she leave that sniveling cunt already? No matter, I wouldn't marry her for all the riches… all the riches of… Rome_." He finished lamely.

"_I do not speak of Octavia, but of my other child; Telphusa."_ With a small grin the senator stepped around the commander and motioned towards another servant, "_Fetch your mistress_." In response the young man turned and darted away.

"_Telphusa_?" Janus questioned, with a wrinkled forehead. "_You've been hiding another brat within these walls?"_

"_She is my youngest. I sent her away to live with my brother and his wife. When I Divorced Julia she was still very young._" The senator explained as he turned back around to face the legionnaire. "_I should now purpose a union…"_

Janus snorted "_I have no want to wed, nor any need to. My sisters have sons; I'll name one of their brats my heir and keep my sanity where I like it."_

"_Come, come, Janus, at least entertain the ramblings of an old man."_ Janus shrugged and the senator continued speaking,_ "You see there are no soldiers in my family, and in these times of woe, I should very much like to think I could count on a man of your status and power to come to my aide."_

"_It's all fine for you, old man, but what purpose would it serve for me? Being chained to your daughter should have a worthy price paid in return."_

Tanicus frowned,_ "My boy, to marry into my family would open doors that you should never have imagined even glimpsing. The power and treasure that would lie at your feet are beyond your imagination."_

"_My imagination is very capable, old man, I doubt that your name could bring me anything beside a pain in the backside. You've wasted my time enough." _Slamming down the goblet onto the nearest piece of furniture, Janus spun around to face the door and froze in place.

……..

Latin Translation….

Opening Scene…

"_Fiat justitia ruat caelum, eum parcus_."

"Let justice be done through the heavens fall, spare him."

"_Non est tanti…_"

"It's nothing..."

"_Aliquando bonmus dormitat homerus_. _Mors ianua vitae._"

"You can't win 'em all… death ain't the end."

"_Vive, vale, obsecro… vive_."

"Live, be well, please… live."

"_Si sic omnes… si sic omnes?_" "_Si sic omnes…"_

"Why couldn't it last forever… why couldn't it last forever?" "Why couldn't it last forever …"

All other translations are in text.


	2. Caput Duo

Lessons in Latin.

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

Thanks to Twitchy Louie for putting up with my go se... and the reviewers for providing feedback and reading in the first place.

Caput Duo

"_My imagination is very capable, old man, I doubt that your name could bring me anything beside a pain in the backside. You've wasted my time enough." _Slamming down the goblet onto the nearest piece of furniture, Janus spun around to face the door and froze in place.

She stood, framed by the sunlight that streamed in from the courtyard; the waves of brown curled tightly and decoratively atop her head. Her large dark _blue_ eyes glared across the room at the stranger with a sense of pure intelligence and spirit.

Janus shifted uncomfortably, unable to shake the feeling that she was dissecting his inner mind. A chill ran down his spine, unnerving the veteran warrior as she stepped across the room lightly, gracefully, to come to a halt before her father. There was something odd and unstable about the girl, kicking him to the very core, instilling a heart pounding fear that had him on the verge of running, but at the same time kept him spellbound.

"Y_ou called for me, father_?"

A smile crossed Tanicus' face as he gauged the soldier's reaction. Wrapping his arm lovingly around his younger daughter he turned her to face the warrior, "_Telphusa, may I present to you Legion Commander Titius Janus; he's an old friend of the family. Perhaps you've heard Octavia speak of him before."_

One of her eyebrows arched up delicately as she gazed upon the Legion Commander with a distinct sense of superiority._ "She has mentioned him, once or twice."_

A satisfied smirk couldn't be stopped despite the hard pounding of his heart. _"Your sister and I have a peculiar relationship."_

Telphusa titled her head with curiosity, "_I gathered no such thing,_" she declared calmly. _"It was very clear to me that you do not have a relationship, but rather an intense loathing for each other."_

Janus snickered, his heart attempting to resume its normal pace as his eyes roamed over her, _"That seems to adequately describe the situation."_

"_Telphusa," _Tanicus interrupted with a nervous grin, _"I'm sure the commander does not wish to speak of Octavia. After all, he has just returned from a campaign in Gaul, as I understand it, a bountiful and triumphant campaign." _His words made Telphusa frown, her gaze leaving the commander to fall on her father, a blatant look of confusion within her eyes. _"You see,"_ Tanicus began, _"Legion Commander Janus is a great favorite of Caesar…"_

The look of absolute horror that crossed her face could not be missed, _"You can not mean that he… father I must beg of you…"_

Janus felt the immediate urge to laugh as he watched the distressed young woman stutter, her hands flying up to grasp at her father's toga. Obviously there had been mention of a marriage agreement, and clearly her father had failed to adequately describe the situation. _"There, sir, is your answer."_ Janus laughed, _"I do not think she would have me." _In most cases it would have been customary to feel insulted at such a situation, instead, Janus felt extremely relieved. No marriage flames to be lightened for him yet.

"_Telphusa, control yourself." _The young girl snapped away from her father, her eyes falling to the floor as her body went ridged. Tanicus turned a horrified expression on the all but laughing commander. _"You misunderstand her actions. She would be greatly pleased at the match. If you would but please give her a chance to…"_

As her father pleaded her case Telphusa's hand clenched in a tight fist, her breath falling heavily. For a second the commander pitied her, but he'd had enough of these games. Marrying the child would do no good for him; the politics of the Forum and Senate were useless to a solider of his stature.

"_Don't worry, girl."_ Janus declared with a grin as Telphusa's head snapped up, her large _blue_ eyes meeting his _brown. "I have no want, or need to wed. Your virtue is safe yet"_ Turning away from the silent pair with an amused smile, the Legion commander departed the room with another laugh. Pushing past the startled servants he moved through the Villa and out its gate.

Despite his amusement something unsettled the solider. He found his thoughts straying away from the initial amusement the scene had caused, and back to the image of the small girl framed in sunlight, "_Marry… she's but a baby still. What good could come from bedding a child?" _Janus muttered to himself, the smile rapidly banishing as he mounted his waiting horse. He shifted uncomfortable in the saddle, a vague feeling of frustration suddenly grabbing hold of him as her large eyes haunted his memory.

Turning the horse around Janus gazed upon the villa gates for a long second… a child, reminded himself. Nothing but a beautiful child, probably a smart child who could hold her own, or maybe not with how she snapped to at her father's command. Still, a child…

"_I thought I smelled an ape." _The soft strained voice brought a sudden halt to the Commander's thoughts as a decorative litter pulled suddenly into view, the soft lace curtains pulling back to reveal a strikingly familiar woman, her long dark hair swept around her face, her eyes the same shade of _blue _that haunted him still. However, no desire to bed this one sprang into his mind.

"_Octavia_." Janus muttered, the name leaving a general distaste in his mouth.

Swinging her legs of the litter, Octavia slowly stood. Glaring at the legion commander with a condescending smile she spoke up, "_What brings the dog to our doorstep? Begging for treats from our father?" _

Janus stared down at her, guiding the horse beneath him closer he leaned down to return her glare, _"A marriage proposal_." He declared, watching the horror as it swept across her face.

"_Marriage…?" _Her voice cracked and Janus laughed watching with glee as the elder daughter of Tanicus turned towards the villa. "_Telphusa…"_ Making a mad dash for the gates she called out, her voice stricken with panic, "_Telphusa, what has happened, what is going on… Telphusa!"_ Still laughing the commander kicked his horse into a hard trot, Octavia's voice ringing in his ears.

-

"River, what's happened, what's going on… River!"

Jayne cracked an eye open, his head pounding as Simon's voice reverberated through it "Gorram it!" Jayne glanced quickly around his bunk, half expecting to find the crazy girl down there with him as Simon climbed down the hatch. Instead the only thing that greeted him was darkness, the glow of _Serenity_ barely casting light through the bunk. The shouting that had seemed so clear a second ago was now only undistinguishable mutters echoing through the bulkheads.

Shaking off Simon's voice as his imagination, Jayne closed his eyes again, deciding that another hour or two of sleep couldn't hurt. But the pounding in his head didn't seem to agree with that notion. Pressing down hard on his temples, the mercenary groaned, "Damn if'n it don't feel like I got two warring parties up there." Tossing off the covers Jayne sat up and slipped on his boots. Heading for the hatch, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to at least discover what all the commotion was about.

Clambering up the hatch Jayne peered down the corridor towards the galley and frowned, half the crew was strewn about the room, ducking behind pieces of furniture as dishes and cans flew through the air. ""Ai-yah. Tyen-ah..." Curiosity and an annoying nagging in the back of his head got the better half of him, and Jayne moved down the corridor.

Coming to a halt just inside the doorway he peered closely into the galley. Standing behind the sink River stood, her face stained with tears, hair strewn about in a wild mess, _brown _eyes blazing with anger and clutching a frying pan. "Isn't fair!" She yelled out across the room, "Didn't give her a chance; didn't stay around! Didn't want to stay. Didn't like her!" Tossing the pan across the room she watched with a satisfied, albeit tear stained, expression as it crashed against the wall.

Simon slowly poked his head out from behind the table where he huddled with Kaylee. "River, I know… I know you're upset, but I can help you if you just put down that..." the blue sun can crashed against the wall and Simon ducked back down with a frustrated yelp. "River I can't help you if you don't let me."

To the left of River's position, just near where Inara and Book where crouching, Mal and Zoe crept stealthy towards the girl, jumping aside as they were both barraged with more cans.

"Hell, doc," Jayne laughed, drawing the groups' attention to him, "Crazy gone loco on ya again? What'd ya do to set her off this time?"

"Nothing." Simon barked angrily, shielding his head as a can exploded against the wall.

"Don't just stand there, Jayne." The captain yelled out, ducking behind a chair, "Get her 'fore she destroys any more of our rations."

"Don't see why I gotta risk my neck!" The mercenary laughed, his arms crossing across his chest he leaned against the doorframe. "Hell, capt'n, she's just a little bit, can't be throwing 'em that hard."

In response to his comment, the girl genius picked up another can, hurling it in his direction. It hit the wall, exploding on contact and expelling a grey gooey substance across the room… splattering the mercenary in the face.

Choking down the sickening substance, Jayne proceeded to wipe it off, the sound of River's laughter echoing in his ears, "What in the hell you do that for?"

"His fault!" River answered back with a smug grin. "Didn't give her a chance."

Jayne snorted as he stepped down into the galley. "Last I checked was you didn't seem so thrilled 'bout the situation. Stuttering and grabbing hold of your pa like I was some kind of one eyed monster 'bout ready to eat ya. What in the hell is a man supposed ta do when a girl insults him in front of her pa? 'Specially when her pa is a high pollutin' snob that looks down on soldiers and the like as it is. You could've at least had the decency to wait 'til your pa weren't around scrutinizing us, then told me where to shove it."

River shrieked, Jayne ducked as another can flew across the room. "How dare you insult the parental unit! Not once did she insult him, was always kind and courteous to the drunken hog."

"Hey!" Jayne barked back, the mirth falling from his face as he advanced on the glaring girl. "That drunken hog was the man that raised me up to the position I'm in, if'n it weren't for him we'd never gotten married. If'n it weren't for him you're high snortin' pa wouldn't have let me in the same room as you …"

"Position? Position? Caesar's lackey!" River shouted back, "Caesar's lackey, that's all you were. Servant to the General, always bowing low before the mighty war lord…"

Jayne's spine stiffened, fire lighting through his eyes, "Watch your tongue woman!"

"Forgot," River bit back, "No one is permitted to articulate thought against the colossal general." Throwing her hands up over her head, the genius rolled her eyes, "Caesar! Caesar! Caesar! Why didn't the rotten ape bind himself in matrimony to the mighty Caesar instead? Would have made a darling couple." Turning on her heels, River fled from the galley.

"Woman," Jayne barked after her retreating back, advancing after her. "Where the hell you think you're going. We ain't done here…"

"Woah there," Mal declared, jumping into the mercenary's path… "Uh, we got other things to do, Jayne, you can… argue with the little lady later." Watching the mercenary wearily, Mal let his free hand drop down to his holster, not quite sure what to expect from the man, not even sure if he knew just who was standing in front of him.

Jayne ignored the captain, eyes still focused on the girl's path of retreat.

"Jayne," Mal barked, pushing hard against the mercenary's chest and pulling the man's eyes towards him, "We got a drop scheduled. Need you to get the shuttle prepped, now!" For the first time in his life, Jayne booked no questions or opposition, a small almost unfamiliar voice telling him that a good solider picked his battle and retreated to see another day. Reluctantly he turned in the opposite direction, starting off for the shuttle with stiff, tense shoulders.

Silence reigned for several seconds as the crew slowly picked themselves off the floor. Book reached for the broom as Inara began picking up the few intact cans. Simon rose, helping Kaylee to her feet, his eyes falling worriedly after his sister.

"Doc," Simon turned to look at the Captain as he spoke. "Go ahead and look towards your sister. I want you to find out what the hell those two where talkin' bout. Then I want her drugged and under, lock her in that room if you have to. Whatever happened to them back in the infirmary, it ain't just affecting him, and until we got a clear picture I don't want her anywhere near him." Simon nodded slowly, turning away from the captain he started after his little sister.

-

Jayne moved quickly into the second shuttle, muttering to himself as he slipped into the pilot's chair. "Gorram little girl." Wiping another gob of the grey goo off his face Jayne turned his attention to the consul and reached forward; only to pause. Hand in mid air, his eyes ran quickly over the dozens or so buttons, racking his brain for the sequence needed to start the smaller shuttle.

"Gorram it, I know the damned thing like the back of my hand. Crazy's just got me all riled." Jayne muttered to himself, leaning back in the chair he took a deep calming breath.

"Jayne!" The mercenary jumped slightly at the sound of the Captain's voice. "Why the hell ain't this thing started yet?" Swinging the pilot's chair around, Jayne jumped to his feet and faced the captain as the man entered the small cockpit, Zoe in toe behind him.

"Was just about ta get her up and running, cap't." Turning back around Jayne leaned over the chair, reaching towards the consul he went for the first button that came into view. A hand suddenly reached out pulling him away. "Ah, hell Mal, I…"

"You don't remember the damned sequence do you?" The captain demanded, eyes piercing Jayne's. "This whole situation has got your head so screwed off that you can't even remember the damn code!"

'_Vir sapit qui pauca loquitor.' _Jayne's spine stiffened the foreign thought once again invading his inner mind. '_Know when to hold your tongue.' _The smart solider will always live by this rule.

Mal's frown deepened as he watched his mercenary's expression glaze over with a look of near pure intelligence. "That's it! You ain't going on this job, not until you get that head of yours straightened out!"

"But Mal, ain't nothing wrong…"

"Go," The captain barked, pointing towards the shuttle door, "Get checked out with the doc, and steer clear of the little girl. I don't want any confrontations between the two of you. You hear?"

"This is ridiculous, who the hell put you in charge anyway. Last I checked I made _Legatus_ 'fore you were even in diapers, hell 'fore you were born." Jayne muttered turning away from the captain he started for his bunk. Reaching out Mal put a restraining hand on Jayne's chest, forcing the mercenary to halt, "Aw hell Mal, I didn't…" Jayne stopped talking suddenly as he took in the captain's odd, puzzled expression. "Why you lookin' at me like that?"

"Jayne…" Mal began, "Ain't… ain't your eyes supposed to be blue?"

"Huh?"

"Zoe," Mal called out, "Weren't his eyes blue?" The captain declared as his second stepped over.

"Can't say I'm too fond of gazing into them, sir, but last I recalled they were a shade of blue." She answered back confidently.

Mal's forehead winkled, "Real pretty blue, weren't they? " He questioned, turning his head to stare at the mercenary "Something like maybe an indigo blue …"

"More of a cerulean in my opinion, sir."

"No chance of them being brown, sorta a dark hazel brown?" Mal questioned, glancing back over at his second in command.

"What in the hell you two talkin' bout…" Jayne demanded angrily, gaze flickering impatiently between the two.

"Not that I recall, sir" Zoe answered back ignoring the mercenary's frosted glare.

"And what color are they now?" Mal declared, motioning at Jayne's face.

Zoe frowned, leaning in slightly as she stared the mercenary in the eyes, her forehead wrinkling in confusion. "Brown, sir!"

"Huh?" Jayne demanded, his face crinkling in confusion, head rearing back. "What in ruttin' hell you talking about. My eyes are blue, been blue ever since birth. Ma used to say they were my baby blues, ain't never been any other color."

"Zoe you got a mirror"

"Sir?"

"You girls are always carrying one around, stashed up a sleeve or tucked in a pocket somewhere?" The captain declared making random gestures at her.

"Sir, do I look the kind of girl who needs to carry around a mirror?"

"Well, no." The captain finally answered, "But you can never really tell…" Deciding it was best to leave the subject untouched the captain glanced around the contents of the shuttle. Finally spotting a reflective tin he reached out, grabbing the item and tossed it towards Jayne.

Jayne caught the small item and peered down into it, "Bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro." He muttered, slowly looking up he glared at the captain and Zoe with bright blue eyes. Thrusting the tin back into the captain's hands Jayne turned, stomping angrily away from the captain and Zoe. "Brown eyes my ass! Startin' ta think crazy's contagious!"

Mal frowned for a long second, the silence hanging over the shuttle. "Zoe…"

"Sir?"

"They were brown!"

"No doubt about that, sir."

-

Simon slowly pulled open the door to River's quarters, peering quietly into the darkness, "River." She didn't answer him and he stepped fully into the room, switching on the light and closing the door behind him.

"Didn't hear you coming!" The lump of covers on the bed stirred slowly.

"What?" Simon questioned, moving closer he perched on the side of the bed, his hand reaching out towards his sister.

"The voices," She answered, her voice muffled. "They weren't as clear for her, wasn't played with and fine tuned. She could tune them out, didn't frighten her as much because they weren't as loud, she just knew things, thought it was a gift from the gods, not the blue hands. Like River, before the hands came."

"Who are you talking about River? What was going on up there in the galley?"

"Jayne remembers things, passed them on to the girl unwittingly. Gave her his memories. Woke up Telphusa with death, and drew her out with Janus…" Crawling out from underneath the covers, River moved over to her brother's side, leaning against him. "It's hard Simon…"

"What's hard, mei-mei?"

"Knowing things, knowing things I shouldn't. Seeing things I shouldn't." Burying her face against his shoulder, she clung tightly to him as though the world was spinning and she would tumble off if she let go. "Feel things, Simon. I feel all her emotions, all my emotions, they're tumbled together, I can't decipher, can't understand, can't distinguish." Pulling away from Simon, River stood, her body trembling and shaking as she began to pace, her movements hurried and frustrated.

"I know another him, loved another him, love him, Simon, everything says that I love him. All the voices, all the emotions that I can't organize, they say that I should love. But I can't understand it, everything says, but nothing is rational… can't be quantified, can't be, just can't be. Won't let me, wouldn't, he's guarded and locked away from people, nothing sane about him, can't love him." She explained and ignored the half confused, half indigent expression Simon was sending her and pressed her palms to her forehead as though trying to clear her thoughts by physical force alone.

"The voices are confusing. Telphusa, she saw the man beneath the armor; I'm supposed to see the man beneath the armor too. She wants to show me, tries to show me. Feel like I'm supposed to see him before the red comes, but I can't Simon. Conventions, fears, they're standing in the way Simon, blocking the path. I know which steps to take, I know which life to live… but I can't take them." Shaking her head violently River took a step away from her brother, her body trembling. "Janus is not helping the situation. He's stronger, stronger then Jayne, like a Jayne with thirty Vera's, only they're all crammed in his head, harnessed not just through his hands… "

"You're not making any sense mei-mei." Simon interrupted, jumping to his feet he grabbed a hold of River, trying to calm her down. "Let's try starting from the beginning… You're saying that you and Jayne are hearing, or remembering someone else's life?"

"No, am feeling my own and hers all bundled together, knotted and twisted. And I want to! I want to know the crazy butterflies, always wanted the crazy butterflies. But not supposed to happen like this, not supposed to remember the butterflies or the hurt. And now I know what they'll bring and I don't want to know. But I am Telphusa, I was Telphusa, I can't wipe away the memories, can't, just can't." River pulled away from Simon, crawling back onto the bed she huddled into the covers, "Telphusa was weaker, nothing forced on her, didn't face the blue, sheltered and loved. Only thing she had to deal with was occasional moody Janus and senate politics. Life was easier…"

"River focus, focus on what you telling me," Simon whispered, reaching down after her he pulled River back into a sitting position. "Let's try something a little easier. Why did you follow after Jayne when he died?"

Lifting her head River met Simon's eyes. "Not easier."

"I… River…" Simon pulled away from her for a second, the emotions playing across his face. "I want to help you figure this out; to do that we need to go back to the root. Why did you follow after Jayne when he died?

Tears suddenly clouded her vision, "It hurts Simon."

"Hurts?" Panic streamed across his face, and he reached out towards her, "What hurts?"

"To be without." River answered, snuggling closely into his side she buried her face against his shoulder. "Hurts too much to stay behind. She felt him, felt him fade away. Each time she feels the pain, the pain of being silent and alone, the pain that steals her breath. And she follows because she doesn't want the pain, can't stand it…" The small girl sniffled, her tears soaking through Simon's silk shirt. "When the Tiber's crossed, Simon, won't be able to stay. I'll have to go, the book will have to end."

"Book? What book, what are you trying to tell me?" But River didn't answer him. Simon sighed pulling his sister tightly to his chest. Instead of feeling confident and sure, her words only left him even more confused.

"Simon…" River whispered as she looked up, "be a girl next time. Didn't have to explain as much when you were a girl."

-

Translations…

Chinese

"Ai-yah. Tyen-ah..." "Merciless hell..."

"Bun tyen-shung duh ee-dway-ro." "stupid inbred sack of meat"

Latin

_Legatus _the title for legion commander.


	3. Caput Tres

Lessons in Latin: Caput Tres

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

Caput Tres

Cold ran up his veins, and the legionnaire stepped forward. Shifting in the heavy leather, his hand fell to his sword as he gazed around the darkened villa. "_Telphusa_-"

"You can't keep her locked away forever."

Blinking at the sound of the Simon's voice, Jayne slowly pulled himself into a sitting position and glanced around the galley. The Captain stepped down into the room, strolling past Jayne with the doctor close on his tail, "I sure as hell can. They ain't spoken a word of that dead language in the past week."

Jayne wiped at his eyes, shaking his head as he tried to sort out the conflicting voices. Glancing over at Octav- Simon, Jayne growled lightly in his throat, "What in the hell you two arguing about so loudly?" Pushing himself up, he ambled across the room to the table and slouched down into the nearest chair as Kaylee and Book began setting the table for dinner.

"She can't live like this," Simon insisted following after Mal into the kitchen. "It's not fair to punish her for something she has no control over. Not to mention cramming her into that two foot cabin for an entire week. She's going to go crazy in that sort of atmosphere."

"Girl's already crazy," Jayne snickered, ignoring the not so subtle glare Simon sent his way. "Little bit of confinement will do the little missus good. 'Bout time she learned her place on this boat."

"I don't recall inviting you into this conversation."

"Well, you was screamin' it loud enough for 'Nara to hear it down on the other end of the boat. Reckon we got a say in it anyways, seein' as we all gotta live with Crazy." Picking up his fork, Jayne glanced over at Simon. "Ain't logical for you to be the only one deciding on our fate, lessin' of course you've sudden become the Captain or somethin'."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence as Mal turned to glance at his mercenary, "Since when do you go by what I have to say?"

Jayne shrugged as he continued to play with his fork, "We gonna eat sometime soon?"

"Go get your sister, doc."

Simon jumped slightly as he turned his gaze back to the Captain. "We gotta get to the bottom of this so I can have my hired gun back. That ain't gonna happen until you figure out what's going on, and keeping them separated only seems ta postpone the problem; ain't solving it none." Turning away Mal moved towards the cockpit to fetch his second and pilot as Simon darted off to free River.

"Ain't seein' what the problem is." Jayne muttered to himself, flipping the fork in the air he caught it and balanced it on his knuckles. "Reckon Crazy had to come out sometime or later."

"How come you don't like River none? Is it 'cause of the knife thing?" Kaylee questioned. Setting the last place on the table, she moved towards the kitchen to help Book gather the food.

"I got a right to dislike her if'n I want to, don't gotta like nobody unless I want." Leaning back in his chair Jayne shrugged, "Sides, girl's always irked me – just ever since that whole dying incident I feel like I gotta a bug crawling underneath my skin when she comes 'long."

"Frustration: The condition that results when an impulse or an action is thwarted by an external or an internal force." River stepped down the stairs into the room and slowly circled around Jayne's chair, her eyes glued to the back of his neck as Jayne bolted upright.

"Who asked you?"

"Mei Mei," Simon whispered as he hurriedly joined his sister. Taking her gently by the elbow he steered her to a chair at the opposite end of the table. "Let's not-"

"Fine, Simon," River answered back curtly as she glared down at Jayne. "Zhang-fu hasn't had manners for the past three centuries anyway."

"Who you calling husband?"

"Jayne," Mal snapped as he stepped down into the room. "See to your mouth and sit your ass down." Stepping around the table the Captain took his seat slowly, Zoe and Wash following quietly after him.

Book quietly joined the group at the table, bowing his head silently in thanks with Kaylee. Jayne followed their example, hoping that maybe one of these days someone would hear that blessing and make protein taste something like food.

An uncomfortable silence settled heavily over the table. Weary glances passed over River and Jayne as the crew picked up their forks, hesitant to take a bite with two explosives seated at opposite ends of the table. "Anybody seen 'Nara lately?" Mal questioned, clearing his throat roughly as dug into the plate.

"She ain't feeling too good, Captain," Kaylee explained, silence following in the wake of her comment.

Jayne passed off the mood with a shrug, digging into his plate. He briefly wondered why the entire table was acting like something was about to explode, but didn't care enough to ponder it for more than a second. Despite tasting somewhat like cardboard, the food before him was enticing enough to distract him from the crew's odd silence.

Shepard Book shifted gently, smiling at those gathered in an attempt to distract them, "Have I ever told you about the time…"

River looked up from her plate, ignoring Simon's attempts to nudge her into eating. She shifted her eyes down the table, trailing over the crew's tense expressions, before finally resting her eyes on the sight of Jayne digging heartily into his food. A whimsical smile flashed across her face, "Always did put stomach first," she whispered to her self. A flash of pain suddenly crept up her heart, wrapping the now pounding organ in an icy embrace. The smile faded quickly to a frown as her eyes narrowed.

Though Jayne had tuned out the voices, he felt an uncomfortable twitch run along his spine, one that he generally associated with only one thing. His eyes flashed up from his plate of food to pin on the source of his discomfort. She was staring at him, large brown eyes pinned to his form, fork clutched painfully tight in her hand, food as yet untouched. She looked as though poised for action; as though she was waiting for something to spring out of his skin.

A crawling feeling crept along his skin, like he had an itch that he couldn't scratch just beneath the surface. Grinding his teeth, Jayne tightened his grip on the fork and stabbed at a piece of protein mush. But, like any good tracker, he couldn't ignore the eyes. They were watching him like a hawk watches it's prey, studying every movement- waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Still, he had a gut feeling that what she was planning on attacking wasn't him, but maybe the itch beneath his skin. Whatever was going on inside her little twisted mind he was sure it had something to do with the crew's current fit of hysteria; like the idea that he was going around speaking Latin. The whole damn ship had to have gone crazy. He would've known if he was spewing out words he couldn't understand- he'd of realized it – after all one doesn't speak a language they don't understand without knowing they don't understand. All those conversations; he could remember them all clearly- he could remember the English words that had come off his lips. It made no sense. English and Chine-

"And I said; have you lost your mind, my son?"

-

"_Have you lost your mind, my son?"_

"_My sanity is intact, thank you, Father."_ Janus declared as the servant slowly undid the straps to his armor.

"_I highly doubt that."_ Throwing his hands up in exhaustion, the older man turned away from his son, _"Can you not see the- the power and strength that you could benefit from? This alliance is your chance to rise above this station; to take on the Senate."_ Swinging back around, the elder man crossed the room to stare his only son in the eyes, _"It is a chance to achieve a kind of power beyond even your imagination-"_

"_But at what sacrifice?"_ Janus demanded. Stripping out of the last layer of armor, Janus brushed off the remaining white tunic and turned away from the frustrated old man. Crossing the room he slouched onto the nearest bench, _"Saddled with a wife, denied the right to conquer and reduced to Senate pigeon. No man in his right mind would take such a task unless it promised all the wealth of Rome."_

"_And it does. Open your eyes. With Senate power you have a chance to use your brains instead of following orders like a blind dog. Use your education and strength, conquer Rome- that is a power you do not have, boy. No army but Caesar's has the power to take these gates-"_

"_And no man but Caesar has the right to."_

The older man sighed and turned away from his son to shake his head, "_What makes your loyalty so strong to this man, what has he ever done in your name, what has he given you? I-"_

"_You?"_ Janus questioned with a loud laugh. Turning away from his father, Janus snapped his hand at the waiting servant. The small boy jumped slightly, turning he grabbed a goblet and pitcher, pouring the rich red wine for his master. _"You have given me no more than Caesar has."_

"_No more?"_ The old man demanded, shaking with anger. _"Was it not I that bought you a position in the legions? Was it not I that gave you the education that has advanced you in ranks-"_

Taking the goblet, Janus waved the boy off, _"And was it not Caesar that stopped the executioners hand in that first battle? Was it not Caesar who advanced me in rank when no other would?" _He questioned before taking a quick swig of the rich liquid. _"If not for the hand of Caesar I should still be where you put me father. I owe allegiance as much to him as I do to you."_

"_Have I ever asked of you anything in return?"_

"_It is not your right to ask anything of me," _Janus answered confidently._ "You did your duty in ensuring a proper future for your legacy to continue on. I owe you nothing."_

"_Nothing? Nothing? Ungrateful bastard-"_

"_Careful Father, you taint your own name in calling me such."_ Swirling the contents of the goblet he watched the old man stew, pacing back and forth before his son like a lion unable to decide whether to attack or retreat.

Pausing, the old man turned pack to his so with a shaky air of confidence that wavered with each word, _"So help me, I will invoke the gods against you- I am your father, and you will obey me-"_

"_I am no child, old man,"_ the amusement quickly faded from Janus' face and he sat up on the bench, his grip tightening on the goblet. _"You have no right to order me around in such a manner."_

"_Mark me, boy. I will see you married to that brat before my dying day- or so help me I will invoke the gods upon your soul and your household. You will come to your senses – I'll see to that by whatever means possible."_ Turning on his heels the old man stormed out of the room, pushing aside the slave boy when he didn't get out of the way fast enough.

"_No way."_ The goblet crashed against the wall furiously, the red contents splattering across the floors. Smirking with an angry satisfaction, Janus leaned back on the bench, _"At the Greek calendas."_

-

"_Non possumus. Ad calendas Graecas."_ The table went quiet as Jayne's voice echoed richly through the room.

Angrily pushing back his chair, Jayne stood, fists clenched, chest heaving. "Ain't no way in hell," he yelled turning his gaze back towards the silent River. "I'd never sell my soul ta a power hungry monger like your pa. Any fool knows the Senate ain't but a trap for pigeon stew. That kinda of power doesn't get you but a knife in the back." His eyes were flashing violently between blue and brown with each blink. "I'd rather marry a ruttin' whore like your sister than-"

Simon's head jerked back in confusion, "Sister-"

"Keep outta this, Octavia," Jayne snapped, "You and that ruttin' father of yours ain't done us any good- 'fore or after the ruttin' marriage. I'll be damned if'n you're gonna stick you pigu in it now."

"Octavia? Who are you talking-"

"You married her didn't you?" River interrupted, slamming her fork down to the table, her head whipped back around to Jayne; silencing her brother's confused babbling with a pair of flashing eyes. "Said the vows, promised eternity- even _meant_ eternity after a little while. You loved the girl, loved her so much you died for her- took the sword to your gut and withered in pain, cried out her name-" A tear cracked down River's face and she jumped to her feet angrily, grabbing a hold of the table for support as her small form trembled with blind rage. "Kissed her so often you lost track, loved her so often had every piece of her memorized. Almost died that day she- she-" But River couldn't finish her sentence and burst into tears. Exhausted and defeated, she collapsed down into the chair and buried her face against Simon's chest, clinging to him.

Jayne seemed confused for a second, his eyes shifting rapidly over the gathered crew like he'd lost something and one of them held the key to rediscovering it. "I- I ain't sure-" Shaking his head, the mercenary turned away from the table and moved off quietly towards his bunk, leaving his plate deserted and his crewmates confused.

River's muffled sobs slowly died down as the crew sat shock still- expressions glazed over with either complete confusion or a slow burning calculation of thought. Mal ran a hand across his chin and shifted in his chair, pulling the groups attention back over to him, "Anybody want ta take a guess as to what the hell that meant?"

River turned her red brimmed eyes to the Captain and pushed away from Simon's comforting grip, "Told you before, he remembers things he shouldn't; remembers Janus. And when he remembers Janus- it makes Janus stronger." She shook her head as though either lamenting this fact or very confused by it. "Janus wants only one thing- wants Telphusa."

Mal shook his head, "Telphusa would be you, right? This ain't making much sense-"

"Not supposed to make sense," River laughed, gently wiping away the tears. "Just always is. Jayne fights Janus because he knows- he knows where Janus and Telphusa end. He doesn't want Jayne to end like Janus like River doesn't want to end like Telphusa." Her eyes glazed over slightly and she seemed to drift of into another world, "Thinks there's a way to stop it-"

Turning back to Simon, River leaned her head back against his shoulder and closed her eyes. "Janus is stronger, so much stronger. He knows what he wants now and won't let Jayne stand in the way." River reached out to grab Simon's shirt, her trembling fists closing around the soft material. "Doesn't matter what it costs, he lost her once- won't lose her again. Won't hurt the girl, but the boy- the boy-" she trailed off, a tear cracking down her cheek as she whispered in a frightening soft voice, "if all is taken, won't be any left." A chill crept through the air, frightening even the veterans gathered at the long table.

"Are you saying," Book questioned as he clasped his hands together, "that Jayne has an alter ego."

"Just like River-" gulping down a breath she lifted her head, "Telphusa. She feels him, wants him, needs him. But she knows she can't have him;" a small edge of desperation crept into River's voice, her eyes still clenched shut, "I won't let her. It's not her turn, its River's turn." Her voice trembled as she spoke the words and her eyes flashed open.

"River," Simon reached out towards her cautiously, worriedly, "River, your eyes-"

"Telphusa's awake."

Translations Latin -

'non possumus' means 'no way – not possible'

'ad calendas Graecas' literal translation of 'at the Greek calendas' which would mean to us 'when hell freezes over.'


	4. Caput Quattour

Lessons in Latin.

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

Caput Quattuor

Jayne's feet landed with a hard thump on the floor of his bunk. Keying in the sequence to the door, he listened to the hiss of mechanics as the door sealed above him, locking the crew and the girl out.

Without hitting the light switch, Jayne maneuvered quickly over to the wall and pulled out the sink. Turning on the cold spray of water he splashed his face, taking a second to let his mind clear. "Name's Jayne Cobb- born on the rim, raised on the rim. Ain't never been to earth, ain't never spoken Latin and ain't never been married to a crazy girl."

The words filled the empty bunk and comforted the man slightly as he focused his gaze on the mirror. The face that stared back was dimly highlighted by the sparse glow of the bunk- giving it an eerily dark quality. Jayne frowned, running his hand slowly over the contours of his chinhe stroked the goatee. The hair beneath his fingertips felt prickly and odd, like it had sprouted instantly. Frustrated by the feelings that swarmed though his head, Jayne scratched roughly at the hair suddenly unsatisfied with the way it looked, the way it felt- she'd never liked him with a beard anyway.

Jayne grabbed the shaving cream and lathered his chin. Picking up a blade, he carefully applied it to his face, trimming away the months of work with careful precision and feeling like he'd set himself free with each swipe of the blade. Dropping the razor to the sink Jayne leaned over to splash his face with water-

"_Macte virtute-"_

Jayne bolted upright as a cold shiver ran down his spine. His heart leapt into his throat as he gazed into the mirrors reflection; she stood at his side gazing up at him with adoring bright blue eyes. Her rich brown hair was piled atop her head in a decorative fashion, several stands hanging forward to tangle with long copper earrings. Mesmerized, Jayne watched as she reached out to trace a warm hand along his chin. _"Pacua sed bona."_ Standing on her tiptoes she placed a soft kiss on the corner of his lips-

Jayne whipped his head away from the mirror, but an empty bunk greeted him. Stumbling backwards until he hit the wall, Jayne slammed his fist against the control panel, flooding the room with light. The crisp contours of the bunk greeted him with an empty silence.

"Ain't nothing but a little hallucination," the mercenary muttered as he ran a shaky hand across his now clean shaven face. "Just tired 's all." Shaking off the adrenaline, Jayne pulled off his boots and moved quickly over to the bed, eyes still darting into the corners of the room. "Crazy's got you spooked is all." He reassured himself and flopping down onto the bed. Shifting his weight around, Jayne relaxed against the sheets as his eyes lolled shut, "Crazy's just got you spooked-"

-

The newborn wail broke through the air. _"Let justice be done through the heavens fall, spare her-"_ Flexing his sword hand nervously Janus turned away from the sunlit garden and back towards the villa walkways. _"Spare her- gods above spare her."_

"_Legatus Legionis-"_ the midwife called out quietly as she stepped down into the garden.

Janus spun to face the woman, his heart constricting in fear.

"_You have been blessed with a healthy son,"_ The midwife declared with a soft and comforting smile. _"He has his father's strength of will and his mother's charming looks-"_

"_The mother,"_ Janus demanded, _"what of the mother?" _Unwilling to wait for an answer he pushed his way past the startled woman and stepped through the doorway-

The light drained away abruptly. Jayne paused for a second, unsure of his surroundings. Taking a deep breath he quickly tried to reorient himself. He wasn't on Serenity but standing at the end of a hallway- moonlight casting a sparse glow over the villa walls. He'd been here before- couldn't remember when or why- but the way was familiar and safe. The night was warm, and he was- Jayne glanced down at the leather armor fitted to his body – dressed funny. Shaking his head, Jayne tugged at one of the layers of leather.

It wasn't right, these weren't his memories. He shouldn't be here-

The strangled cry of fear shattered the night air, making Jayne jump as he grabbed for a gun but pulled out a sword. "Crazy?" His heart now pounding in his ears, the mercenary advanced towards the end of the corridor.

"_No- please. ex imo corde, misericordia-" _her scream startled him. The frightened cry of a child, his child, followed quickly after River's panicked cry. Jayne stumbled, crashing against the wall as he was suddenly blindsided with fear. "No- gods no- I ain't- that ain't-" Tightening his grip on the sword the mercenary straightened, blind rage quickly replacing the throbbing pain in his heart. "Ain't nobody messes with my family-" Breaking into a dead run, Jayne charged through the doorway-

The rising sun cast a warm glow over the small villa garden as the slaves bustled about one of the tables, quickly laying out the morning meal.

"_Caesar thinks well of the match_." Quintus declared as he watched Janus tighten the sword belt.

The legionnaire frowned for a second and stepped past his friend, crossing the garden to the table where his morning breakfast had been carefully laid. Taking a seat he motioned for his friend to join him. _"Need I ask how Caesar was informed of the match?"_ Quintus remained silent, slipping into a seat across from Janus. _"So, Caesar looks favorably on the match, did he say why?"_

Quintus leaned back in his chair as a servant approached to pour both men cups of water. _"Truly Janus- have you been struck on the head one too many times?"_ Quintus ignored the glare sent his way and grabbed a hunk of bread from the table. _"The reasoning is obvious. It is well known that Caesar has many friends in the Senate, but he also has many enemies- enemies who are more apt and able to convince friends of the true 'tyrannical' nature of Caesar." _Taking a quick bit of the soft bread, Quintus watched as the thoughts of his friend slowly formulated. "_You are a man not only of brains, Janus, but of strength. With such a combination if a man finds his faith in Caesar wavering, he may either be talked into restoring his faith, or muscled into greater confidence!"_

Janus laughed lightly, _"You have a way of shedding an amusing light on the matter, my friend. Still, though such tasks could be enjoyable, the offer stands as imprisonment It would better suit both Caesar and myself if I were to remain on the battlefield."_

"_But if the matter were to have great compensation?"_ Quintus smiled as he watched Janus sit up a little straighter. _"If all works in his favorCaesar would very much like to expand our great empire. Sadly Marc Antony shall be busy assisting our great commander in Rome. Who than should lead our forces north?"_

-

Simon gently steered River into the infirmary, helping her up onto the infirmary bed. Mal and Kaylee followed after, the Captain pausing to lean in the doorframe as Kaylee moved over to stand at River's side.

Turned away from his sister, Simon opened one of the storage cabinets, "I'm just going to give you-"

"Doesn't work like that," River interrupted. Glancing around the room she grabbed her arm and took a deep shaky breath. "Know it doesn't work; you can't see into the past with needles, can't take away the past with needles."

Simon pulled out a small bottle of clear liquid, "I'm not trying to see the past River, and I know I can't make the past go away. But maybe I can stop it from hurting you and Jayne if I know exactly what it's doing to you." Reaching down into another drawer, he pulled out a syringe. "Maybe we can figure out how to-"

"The book."

Simon paused and turned slowly around to stare at his little sister. "The book? What does that mean?"

"The book can tell you what hurts- won't stop the hurt, but it can tell you." Her clear brown eyes were now pinned on her brother's still hands. The soft ghost of a smile crossed her lips as Kaylee reached out to wrap a comforting arm around her. "If you know what hurts, maybe you can figure out how to stop the hurt."

"Girl's got a good point, Doc." Mal shifted away from the doorway and crossed his arms, narrowing his gaze in on the small genius. "You know where this book is?"

"The book is on a shelf."

Kaylee smiled gently as the two men in the room collectively rolled their eyes. "You remember which shelf it was on?" she questioned as she reached up to pull a strand of River's hair away from her face. "Or how about a title?"

"Can't remember," River's eyes glazed over as she racked her brain. "Wasn't a very good shelf. Metal- always falling down. Jayne said was a waste of time. Got mad 'cause he didn't think we should have the book. Seeds were more important; waste of space he said Was during the second Moses."

Kaylee smiled in understanding as Simon and Mal stared on in confusion. "Right, so it survived Earth that was. Did you take it on a ship?"

River nodded enthusiastically, "Took it with us- Simon liked for me to read it to him before I tucked him into bed."

"Really?" A brighter smile cracked across Kaylee's face. "So he's always switching genders, sometimes a boy and sometimes a girl like Jayne said?"

Simon injected the liquid into the syringe and walked over to the two girls before the conversation could go any further. "I'm going to give you a smoother mei mei, it'll help you sleep. But I need a title-"

"Going to monitor Telphusa. Won't help. Brain waves can't tell you about the hurt, only tell you that she's there." Turning her head away, River held out her arm and leaned into Kaylee.

Simon paused, frowning as he watched his sister's face, "Mei mei, the book-"

"It's alright Simon," she interrupted, "you've never hurt me- except for that one time you accidentally ran over my cat."

"Cat?" Simon questioned, but didn't finish his thought. Taking hold of her arm, he injected the needle into his sister.

River took a deep breath as the wave of emotions crashed through her head. "Drowning," she whispered, her grip tightening on Kaylee. She was walking - No. She was sitting in the infirmary. The red was on her hands, Jayne- he was fading fasting, lost in the emotions. "He's drowning." Pushing away from Kaylee, River moved to jump off the bed, but suddenly found Simon gently blocking her path. "Jayne, Jayne's drowning-"

"He's fine, River, just relax." Gently taking a hold of her shoulder, Simon pushed her down to the bed.

"Jayne- want Jayne- I can't – he's drowning. Please Simon, I want Jayne- he can't - don't leave me in the dark_, fac ut sciam_." Her body went limp with a soft whimper and Simon sighed, a sad light drawing though his eyes as he turned away from the bed and his unconscious sister.

"What are you planning on finding?" Mal questioned following a step behind the doctor.

Simon shrugged, "I'm not exactly sure." Walking over to the panels of screens he pulled up the current stats, checking River's vitals before pulling up her brain scans. "Obviously she's experiencing a chemical malfunction in her brain. It's making her associate these past memories with either physical pain or a loss of control-" Simon stopped suddenly, his eyes widening.

"Doc?"

A frown pulled at the corners of Simon's lips, "That's not good," he whispered, "- it's not even possible!"

-

"_The outrage, the humiliation."_

Telphusa winced, her eyes dropping down to the pebbled ground as her heart skipped a beat. Biting down on her lower lip she tried to tune out her father's raising voice.

"_One of Caesar's favorite."_ Senator Tanicus barked as he paced the lush green gardens. _"He was our only chance at a solid military alliance- a man of fortune and strength, allied with some of the greatest minds."_ Clenching his fists together, the older man turned away from his daughter. Telphusa gulped down a breath, shifting on the bench and risking a quick glance at the older man. _"A man with family ties who could be trusted to remain loyal should the worst befall our-"_

"_Please father,"_ Octavia snapped as she stepped into the villa garden. _"I think you've driven home the point. It's been a more than a week since that horrid event, it's time to put your ramblings to rest and let the world continue." _Crossing the garden she took a seat next to Telphusa.

"_No respect- the gods have cursed this household with insolent daughters. I ought to throw you both to the streets."_ With a final frustrated cry he moved off to the other end of the garden and resumed his pacing.

"_Thank the gods,"_ leaning forward Octavia pressed a kiss to Telphusa's forehead. _"Are you sure you would rather not come stay with Augustus and I? I dread leaving you here with that old man to whine about your very wise refusal-"_

Telphusa's head snapped up, her gaze meeting her sister's _"Was it?"_

"_Was what?"_

"_Was it wise to refuse him?"_ Turning away from Octavia's horrified expression the girl shook her head in confusion, _"I'm not even sure why I refused him."_

Octavia leaned in closer to her younger sister, dropping her voice, _"What did you feel? Surely he did not bring forth visions of a happy little family. What did your gift make you feel?"_

"_Nothing in particular- nothing to stand out. He was attracted to me I suppose, he felt nervous but unprepared- I was not actively trying to read him. I never thought father would-"_ she trailed off.

"_Father would what?"_

Sighing Telphusa turned her head away from Octavia's questioning glance to watch the water dribble down a nearby fountain. _"When father spoke of an arranged marriage I thought that he would at least take me into consideration. I thought he would choose a man closer to my own age. Someone who would have similar interests and would be more of peace than war. I suppose it was foolish thing for me to assume- men of the military are almost always men of war. But I had hoped that father would-" _She turned back to face her sister, _"I do not know what I expected but he was not it_." Telphusa glanced over at the pacing older man, _"But now I see what father intended-"_

"_To sell you off for his own good."_ Octavia snorted in disgust.

"_Octavia, please,"_ Telphusa pleaded as she reached out to grab her sister's hand _"I know you do not think that. Father means well- If you only knew what he is thinking and feeling. He's afraid for us. He knows that change rides the wind and that a man such as Titus Janus could bring a measure of stability to the family."_ Telphusa turned away from her father's image and pulled her hand away from Octavia. Her shoulders sagged as she buried her face in her hands, _"And now I have cast away our only chance-"_

"_No- you have not."_ Octavia warped an arm protectively around her younger sister, _"What you did was a smart thing- that man would have brought us nothing but trouble and pain."_

"_But if Titus Janus decides to take insult from my refusal- He has power and influence with Caesar. He could have our family stripped of all title and –"_

"_Stop it- you're not thinking clearly,"_ Octavia snapped as she abruptly stood. Forcing Telphusa's hands away from her face she pulled the smaller girl to her feet. _"This stale air has clogged your logic- I am taking you away from that old man's twisted thinking."_ Turning Octavia started to pull the shocked girl towards the villa gates.

A slave suddenly dashed out into the garden, stumbling he dropped into a hurried bow before the two women as Tanicus joined them. _"Legatus Legionis Lucius Titus Janus and Legatus Legionis Aulus Horatius Quintus request an audience with the family."_

Tanicus and Octavia both turned a paler shade of white. _"Yes, yes- hold them for a second, then show them in boy," _the senator ordered, waiting until the young man had dashed back away before turning to his two girls. _"It is as I feared; he must have taken insult. Octavia, take your sister out through the slaves' entrance- they will not see you-"_

"_No."_ Telphusa whispered worriedly as she pulled her hand away from Octavia's tight grip. _"I'll stay-"_

"_Do as I say, girl- it's for your own good."_ Turning to his elder daughter the senator cast a nervous glance down the pathway, _"Take her into the country- anywhere but Rome. As soon as I can I will come fetch her and make arrangements for her safety- perhaps my brother can find accommodations-"_

"_I will not leave you to pay for my mistakes-"_

"_You've always wanted to go to Greece, haven't you?"_ Octavia questioned as she reached out to grab Telphusa's hand. _"Now would be a splendid time-"_

"_Stop it!"_ Telphusa snapped. _"I will face the consequences of my actions, no matter what fate it will bring-"_

"_Legatus Legionis Lucius Titus Janus and Legatus Legionis Aulus Horatius Quintus."_

Tanicus spun around, hurriedly pushing Telphusa behind him. The slave bowed before his master, slowly backing away to make way for the two men. _"What an unexpected surprise." _Tanicus greeted nervously, a hard grip keeping Telphusa behind him. _"We were just about to settle down for a mid-day meal. Perhaps you would care to join us."_

Glancing over at Quintus for a second, Janus raised a weary eyebrow and cleared his throat, _"I have come on business."_

"_What business could that be?"_ Tanicus turned a shade paler as Octavia reached to grab her father's toga, clinging to him desperately.

Yanking free of her Father's grip, Telphusa pushed her way around the pair ignoring her father's panicked grasp. _"Legatus-"_ She bowed her head and clasped her hands nervously together, _"I fear I may have caused some turmoil when last we met. I wish to apologize if my words had offended you and speak my father's peace; that if you desire it to be so-"_ she gulped down a breath, trying to tune out Octavia frantic sputtering, _"I would be honored and grateful if you would take me as your wife."_

-

Authors Note: For those confused by the names- here's quick explanation.

Romans generally had three names each representing a different thing. Example: Lucius Titus Janus. Lucius was a common day equivalent to our middle names- no one used it so generally you were called Titus Janus except on formal occasions. Titus would represent the last name – it was you Roman clan name or the name you adopted upon becoming a roman citizen. Janus would be the first name – the one all your friends called you by.

Translations

Macte virtute - well done

Pacua sed bona – less is better

ex imo corde, misericordia – from the bottom of my heart - mercy

fac ut sciam – don't leave me in the dark


	5. Caput Quinque

Lessons in Latin.

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

Caput Quinque

Disclaimer- I know nothing about the human brain – so I know what I wrote is wrong and probably impossible- however until I can sit through or find a How the Brain Works for Dummies- let's just pretended what I wrote is correct.

-

"What's not possible?" Mal demanded.

"See here-" Simon motioned towards the screen. "These patterns are incorrect. They're not River's."

"Explain that so I can understand it."

"The brain has certain frequencies that it emits- certain distinct frequencies for each human being." Pulling up a separate image Simon pointed at the wavelengths. "This would be our River's frequency. See here and here it's got a very strong wavelength. But if we look at the other: these two waves are weaker and not just causally, but greatly. This implies a significant difference in- well to put it plainly, in personalities."

"Are you saying that if I woke up that girl," Mal pointed towards the still River, "I'd have a totally different person on my hands?"

Simon's frown deepened, "Well, essentially- it depends. Not totally different but not exactly the same person. I don't understand it either, Captain. Something happened when they crossed over." Turning back towards the screen, Simon ran a hand over his chin and shook his head. "I think that's what River has been trying to tell us. When they crossed back over something came with them."

"River just said they were memories though," Kaylee interrupted, leaving River's side to join the conversation.

"Memories can have a powerful influence-"

"Memories don't change brain waves, Doc," Mal pointed out. Stress etched across his forehead as he stared down at the younger man. "Memories don't change personalities."

"They're not suppose to– but what if they can-"

Mal's eyebrow hiked into his hairline, "Can what?"

"I don't know." Simon threw his hands up in frustration and spun away from the Captain's hard glare. "I don't understand any of this- I don't even understand the bound theory." Crossing the room he paused beside the infirmary bed, starring down at his younger sister. "Why is her soul connected to his? Why does she have to die when he does?" He spoke the words softly, his hand reaching out to gently touch his sister's shoulder. "It makes absolutely no sense. Brain waves don't change like this. People don't consciously remember past lives. I don't understand – I can't understand why this is happening."

Mal shook his head turning away from the doctor to glare at the screens, "Well it is, Doc." The Captain pressed his lips together in thought before whipping around, "and we got to find a way to stop it. Kaylee; go wake up Wash and Zoe. Than you and Wash hit the cortex and find that book. Use whatever means you have- just find me that damn book. Have Zoe meet me outside of Jayne's bunk." The engineer nodded in understanding and darted for the door as Mal turned his attention to the pensive doctor, "Get a smoother ready and move your sister off the bed. It's time we see just how much stronger this Janus fellow is."

-

Rome lay stretched before them, her red roofs catching the setting sun's rays. The two horses paced at an easy lope down the road towards the great city, both riders' oddly silent as they took in the magnificent maze of streets stretched over the seven hills.

Quintus frowned slightly, curbing his horse to a slower pace as his fellow legionnaire followed his example. "I suppose you are eager to return home, but I have nothing to greet me!"

"That is your own fault, friend. You've had many chances to marry and each one you've turned down." Jayne shifted in the saddle, unused to the sensation of riding in the leather skirt.

"Still," Quintus added, "Surely Telphusa could survive another night without her husband; she has young Iovinus to keep her company. If he is any ounce his father's son, he's a handful at best."

Jayne paused for a second in thought, confused by the name mentioned- Telphusa? River. Of course. "Thus the reason I wish to return, that child he has caused twice the trouble I ever caused."

"You've changed my friend-" Quintus declared solemnly as he turned his head to glance at the mercenary. "The man I knew a year ago would not have sacrificed riding triumphantly into Rome at Caesar's side for any woman."

"I have other reasons for returning beside wife and child," Jayne snorted. "Now that he's crossed the Rubicon, Caesar's enemies will grow in numbers. Our commander needs all the support he can get upon his entrance to our great city." Jayne chuckled lightly, "You should have heard the uproar in the senate; it was quite amusing to watch the old henpecks cluttering about in panic-"

"You should be careful, Janus." Quintus interrupted the legionnaire with a worried frown. "You too have made many enemies and upset many powerful men with your support of Caesar. I worry that one of them will strive to harm you and yours."

Jayne huffed in disdain and rolled his eyes, "Telphusa is a Senator's daughter, not a one of those old henpecks would dare strike at her." A grin quickly spread across Jayne's lips as he kicked his horse into a light trot. "These are great times my friend; Caesar shall soon be named Emperor and our Empire will stand unchallenged against the weak world."

Quintus shook his head sadly as he gazed down the path towards the city gates. Despite still being a distance from the city he could already see the crowd of refugees as they fled the city. "Looks as though you shall not be reunited as soon as you'd like, first we must cross the Tiber."

-

Mal overrode the lock system and pushed the hatch open. The lights were on. He could see that from the top of the ladder. "If he's awake don't give him a chance to bolt. Hold your gun on him if you have to, as I ain't sure who we're going to be dealing with."

Zoe nodded as she pulled the carbine out. Mal dropped down the ladder and peered into the quiet bunk. Jayne lay stretched across the bed, his breathing even. Almost sighing with relief the captain nodded up to Zoe and caught the syringe as she dropped it down to him. Tapping the needle, he crossed the room, carefully pulling the mercenary's arm out and injecting the clear liquid into the man's veins.

"Doc said we ought to wait a few minutes until it safely kicks in." Zoe dropped down into the bunk and moved over to the captain, holstering the weapon as she stared down at the sleeping Jayne.

"Ain't got time to wait." The captain motioned for her to grab the mercenary's feet. "If he wakes' up, we'll just have to knock him out the old fashioned way."

"Sir- when did Jayne shave off his goatee?"

-

"_I would be honored and grateful if you would take me as your wife."_

River shrieked as the dark world around her seemed to suddenly spin. Covering her face with her arms she clung to herself, the ground beneath her feet shaking. "Dreaming," she yelled, "only dreaming, it's not real."

The ground stopped moving. Cautiously River withdrew her arms and peered into the brightly lit world around her.

The cobblestones gleamed, freshly washed by a heavy rain, the scent of the storm still hanging in the air. Behind her the coursing waters of the Tiber pushed against the city banks and before her the streets of Rome lay deserted. Eyes widening, the small genius spun around in a dizzying circle, attempting to take it all in at once. The buildings that arched around her, the wide roadways, the abandoned wooden carts still filled to the brim with fresh goods.

Stumbling to a shaky halt, the girl launched forward into the intricate web. Moving quickly through the heart of the city she weaved past abandoned markets and into the garden oasis of Rome. Villas stretched out before her, the wealth of Rome's leader's silently greeting the familiar face as her booted feet led her down the unfamiliar paths.

Round a corner, River skidded to a halt-

The villa stood silent, white walls glistening as only a memory could ever make them. Her heart skipped a beat and River launched forward again, pushing against the heavy wooden gates.

The soft arches and columns greeted her like old friends. And with a giddy smile she moved excitedly though the courtyard into the villa. The center atrium welcomed her with the warmth of distant memories. Running a hand around the tall white columns she weaved between them, working through the rooms. Smiling softly to herself she caressed pillows and ran her fingertips over the heads of the statues. Wide brown eyes took in the atmosphere, examining all the familiar details of a life long past.

The soft strain of tears made the genius pause. Glancing about her in confusion, River moved quickly out into a hallway. Tilting her head she followed the soft sound down the corridor, her heart leaping in her chest as the sound grew louder. Pressing her ear against the door, she listened for a second to the quiet wail before pushing against the soft grain of wood.

The woman knelt before the white bed in a red stained toga. Her face was buried in the empty sheets she clung to, her body trembling with sobs. River frowned as she approached the huddled form. Her hand lifted, slowly inching towards the shaking shoulder blade, gently making contact. The head whipped around as River's hand retracted.

-

Wash frowned, scratching at his head as he stared down at the cortex screen. "Maybe we ought to try some of the more historical sites?"

"Most of them are locked down." Kaylee answered his thought. "Head back to the search engine and let's try something else."

"Perhaps," Book interrupted as he climbed up the stairs of the cockpit, "I can help with that." Approaching the pair he slipped into the pilot's chair as Wash vacated the seat. Fingers flying across the keyboard the Shepard leaned back into the chair as the screen flashed to a private address. Running his hand across his chin he leaned forward again and typed in a short password. "Now what are we looking for?"

"Janus and Telphusa in a book form. At least that's what we think" Wash supplied as he leaned forward over the back of the chair to watch the Shepard work.

"Already looked up Julius Caesar," Kaylee added, "and placed his crossing of the Rubicon in 49 B.C. But River only ever mentioned crossing the Tiber. Nobody made a big deal 'bout Caesar crossing that river."

"We know part of the names, Telphusa and Janus. So if we perhaps cross searched those two with the year and Caesar, we may be able to narrow the search considerably." As he spoke, Book's fingers flew across the keyboard, his gaze narrowing in on the screen. "Perhaps it would also be wise to do a people search for connections between the name River and Jayne."

Silence settled over the three as they watched the cortex think for several minutes before finally flashing to another screen. "Ah- here we go. Legatus Legionis Lucius Titus Janus. Born 87 B.C., he was killed in 49 B.C. soon after Caesar crossed the Rubicon. One of the four commanders under Caesar, he was commended in the personal journals of Caesar as an excellent strategist and loyal commander. He helped put down riots in Gaul and completed several successful campaigns." Book read aloud. "He was married in 51 B.C. to the daughter of a Senator- Telphusa, only after extensive persuasion. The couple had one son; Titus Iovinus-" Book paused suddenly, a frown marring his features. "Lord above."

-

Jayne swung down from the saddle and pushed the villa gates open. Above him the moon glistened on the clear night, the streets oddly silent around him. Dropping the reins of the horse, Jayne glanced around the courtyard expectantly. The atmosphere felt heavy, and eerie, as though the gods were plotting ill events. Advancing towards the villa his hand fell to the sword strapped around his waist.

"Master-" The small voice startled Jayne and he spun to the shadows of the villa, easily spotting the small shrouded form.

"What goes here boy?" Jayne snapped angrily, his nerves now racked as he stormed over. "Where is your mistress?" Reaching out he pulled the boy forward, ignoring the child's startled cry.

"Two men," the child answered, quaking in fear, "they arrived just after sunset, master. They claimed to bear ill tidings of your journey. But the mistress mistrusted their words, and gave command for them to leave. But she could not-" Trembling in exhaustion or fear the small boy looked away.

Jayne's heart constricted, "Where?"

"They took the mistress and the younger master back to the bedroom."

Grabbing the boy by the shoulders, he steered the child over to the waiting horse and boosted the startled boy into the saddle. "Ride for Master Quintus, tell him what you told me." Slapping the horse on the flank, Jayne swung back towards the house. Advancing swiftly down the hall he moved with a purpose, eyes narrowing on the closed bedroom door, unwilling to face the fear that choked his heart.

The strangled cry of fear shattered the night air. Jayne jumped, pulling the sword out he broke into a jog. "Telphusa?"

"No- please. From the bottom of my heart – mercy." Her scream startled him, but nowhere near as much as the frightened child's cry that quickly followed. Jayne stumbled, crashing against the wall as he was blindsided with fear. "No- gods no-" Tightening his grip on the sword the mercenary straightened, blind rage quickly replacing the throbbing pain in his heart. Breaking into a dead run, Jayne charged through the doorway.

The small sobbing form of Telphusa bent over the lifeless child, her white toga stained with red. Two unfamiliar men stood over her with swords held ready to strike. Jayne lunged, plunging his own sword between the first man's ribs. Freeing the blade he spun around and blocked the second man's attack, using the force of his weight to push the startled man backwards. Telphusa shrieked in fear, pulling the still child closer she retreated back towards the bed.

The stranger lunged forward again, the blade swinging towards Jayne as he met the blow, deflecting it with a hard grunt. The echo of swords striking took on the quality of thunder. Anger boiled down his heart, clouding his thoughts, but not his aim. The sword clashed down on his intended victim, striking with furious blow as he quickly maneuvered the other man back towards the wall. Jayne ducked a particular heavy blow, swinging his blade back around he sliced the sword though the air, his prey fleeing across the room.

Gasping for a breath Jayne moved quickly to follow after. The stranger hesitated, panic sweeping through his eyes, death already calling his name, he picked his target randomly and charged the frightened woman.

Jayne jumped – Telphusa screamed as the sword pierced his stomach.

It took a second for the pain to register. Jayne let out the breath he'd been holding out as the attacker moved back, releasing the sword in shock. Moaning slightly Jayne stumbled as the shock kicked in, numbing the lower half of his body as he dropped his own sword. Chest heaving the mercenary dropped his hands down to grasp the hilt of the impaled weapon. Taking a deep breath he pulled the blade free with a hiss of pain and teetered.

A hand dropped down grasping his bleeding stomach, and he turned his dark eyes to the now frightened man across him. With a hoarse cry of anguish Jayne rammed the shocked man, blade driving through the stranger's chest.

Releasing the sword he watched his victim drop to the floor. His own balance teetered again and Jayne turned back, a hand reaching out towards Telphusa. The world beneath his feet suddenly caved and Jayne crumpled down to the white sheets.

-

Kaylee gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as she read down the page of information. "How could- why would anybody do that?" Tears clouded her eyes.

"Those who wanted to preserve the Republic were either seeking to stop this or planning on using the deaths of his family against Janus." Book shook his head scrolling down the screen. "But I don't see a record of any book."

"What about the other search?" Wash questioned motioning to the screen.

Pulling the other screen forward, Book's mouth gaped open, "Lord above." Eyes widening in shock the Shepard scrolled down the list of matching names, "How can this be possible –"

"They can't all be our River and Jayne!" Kaylee whispered leaning in closer. "Most of them gotta be someone else."

"It doesn't seem probable-"

"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Wash motioned towards one of the links, "Look, the River James and Jayne Carver one has a portrait attached."

Book clicked on the link and a picture flashed onto the screen. Jayne stood dressed in a militia uniform from the Revolutionary War. His arm was wrapped around the smaller waist of River. She stood at his side dressed in a soft pink and blue dress of the period, holding tightly to a small girl. The bottom of the painted portrait read 1776 alongside the unfamiliar artist's name.

"How about the Michaela Turner and Will Jayne?" Kaylee questioned pointing at the link. "No River mentioned there."

Book clicked on the link and the biography page produced an ancient black and white photo of Jayne dressed in a western style. Once again his arm was wrapped around the waist of River who was dressed in a gingham blue dress. Four children of varying ages were placed around them. "Michaela 'River' Turner." Book read off the screen before returning to the search screen. Scrolling though the dates he shook his head, "There is no mention of Telphusa and Janus."

-

"What happened to his goatee?" Simon questioned as Zoë and Mal carried the unconscious man into the infirmary and hoisted him up onto the bed.

"Ain't sure, found him like that," the captain answered, following Simon over to the panel of screens. "What are we dealing with?"

"Good lord." Simon muttered, pulling up the two separate patterns of brain waves. "Look at his," the doctor ordered pointing at the two scans. "These two waves here are at least two times stronger than Jayne's. We're dealing with a much stronger force here-"

"Stronger than Jayne?" Zoe questioned.

"I'm not talking about the physical aspect. Brain waves can tell us nothing about a person's physical being. No, this other soul is stronger emotionally and mentally than our Jayne. It's just like River said; Jayne with thirty Vera's crammed in his head."

-

Telphusa gazed up at River with wide tearful eyes. Her lower lip trembled as she brought a red stained hand up to wipe at her tears. "_How did you_-"

"Doesn't matter," River answered her confidently as she dropped down to her knees before the other woman. "Here now."

Telphusa's lower lip began to tremble again, her eyes quickly filling with tears. "_Why?"_

"Hearts or minds think its best- brought the past and the present together." River shrugged. "No reason to cry now." Reaching out she gently pulled Telphusa into a tight embrace. Another sob cracked through the Roman's throat as she buried her face in River's neck and clung tightly to the small genius. "Alright now- it's all over." Rocking the girl in her arms, River gently stroked the dark brown mane, shushing her former self quietly.

"_It's not over,"_ Telphusa answered back. "_I've lost him. I lost them both in one stroke of a sword." _Pulling back from River, Telphusa wiped her arm across her eyes to clear the tears away. ._ "Why? Why did he leave me in the dark?"_

River sighed gently, "Didn't have a choice. You know that better than I- bits and pieces are all I have. Know how it ended and know how it started, but not how it came into place. The memories are not mine- not mine to trample through."

A soft whimsical expression quickly covered the other girl's face, _"We did everything out of order; marriage, friendship, lust, child, love. We took small steps that sometimes seemed to make our lives stretch impossibly long over the two years we knew each other."_

"With Jayne-" the small genius frowned, "with Jayne there is only confusion and fears. Something was broken when it shouldn't have been. Time is drawing to an end and I haven't- haven't had a chance to know the pain." Reaching out River laid a hand Telphusa's heart, "Didn't have a chance to-" A tear slipped down her cheek and the genius turned away from her image. "Just like the plane- lost him before I got a chance to know all the scars."

Telphusa reached out to pull River's chin back towards her. _"It's not over yet. Always remember that. Each new chance is just that. It's your turn to feel, your turn to try and break the spell."_

River's eyes went wide, her breath catching as she examined the face of the other girl, "You knew. Knew it would end before it was supposed?"

Telphusa nodded, her eyes falling to her lap as she wiped at the red stains on her toga. _"I knew. I knew from the beginning. Such a man as he; the end could not have been a pleasant one. We all must know- surely you felt something when first reading him. Felt the force of his strength, the power of his will. They may be different, but at heart Jayne is like Janus and Janus is like Jayne."_

River shook her head, "Things that shouldn't have been done were done. Knew only after following him into the black- Only after I knew all did I understand the ending. But Simon- Simon brought him back. Brought me back. We fought the ending, broke the pattern."

Telphusa shifted suddenly, her gaze pulling away to stare out the open door and into the garden. _"It's not over yet. Like you said things have been misplaced and disorganized, but fate will recover- the gods are not kind to their gifted children. The stars are misaligned, sister self."_ Rising to her feet, the young woman of noble blood moved towards the door, worry etching across her face. _"You've faced much more than I in your lifetime- you who are broken may yet break the pattern."_

River bowed her head, "Failing is fate's decree-"

Telphusa shook her head, _"You passed beyond and returned. You know how we've failed at each attempt. Use your knowledge." _Thunder boomed in the distance as the heavy scent of rain filled the room. _"The time to wake is now, sister self. Fate works to correct Octavia's cure. You can not stay here, you must wake up."_ Turning back around she starred down at the other girl with remarkable clear blue eyes. _"Jayne's drowning. Find the book, give Simon the knowledge. He's a stable force in our lives- he can guide you, can help you figure out the key to saving Jayne."_

"Already had the book life and life again and its never helped," River cried back in frustration, "It can't help."

Telphusa smiled in understanding and crossed back over to River, grabbing the girl's hands. _"The book changes, Simon changes, Jayne changes, and we change. There is no guarantee that this time will be different- but you must always fight for your hearts desire. I understand that things never happen as they are supposed to. If they had I would have never loved Janus and you would never have had Jayne."_

"But I don't- don't have Jayne."

Lightening flashed across the sky, illuminating the room in a flash of white. Telphusa whipped around, pulling the girl towards the doors, _"There is no time," _Telphusa snapped, _"You need to go back now, or there will be no Jayne to have."_

-

Wash frowned gazing over the list of birth dates and names, "Am I doing my math right- or does it seem like Jayne don't live past forty one?"

-

Oh god he was dying.

Jayne groaned in pain as the red seeped from his stomach. It hurt, breathing hurt, breathing wasn't supposed to hurt. Throwing his head back against the bed he suppressed a groan as something pressed down on the pain.

He'd always thought that it would have been quicker; a blink of an eye and everything would be gone. That he wouldn't see it coming so clearly or feel everything slipping through his hands like dropping a wet plate and watching the contents crash to the floor.

"_Fiat justitia ruat caelum," _The voice broke through the fog of his pain and Jayne slowly lifted his head- what was she doing here? She wasn't supposed to be here. "_eum parcus_." What was she saying? The words didn't make sense. His arm moved unconsciously towards her- reaching out. His heart slowed down another beat.

He wanted to touch her, to wipe away the tears that were falling down her cheek. The kid was gone and now she was losing him, 'ruttin hell if that wasn't crappy. It wasn't fair-

"_Non est tanti-_" her voice cracked only slightly. Leaning his head back down he took a gasping breathe, the air drawing through his lungs as his stomach muscles twitched painfully.

It couldn't end like this, a last breath choked out in pain. God damn he was a Legion commander, not some child who would slip from the world in a gasp of pain. Reaching downward he pulled one of her hands away from the wound, encompassing the smaller one in his own. The pain laced up his body with another breath- just one more, just one more to tell her, just to tell her- tell her-

-

The screen lit up as the steady beeps of Jayne's heart suddenly spiked. "Something's wrong, his vitals are sky rocking. His temperature's dropping- he's going into shock." Turning away from the screen, Simon yanked a drawer open and pulled out the packaged syringe.

Ripping off the seal, Simon raced back across the room. Placing a hand on the mercenary's chest for aim, Simon lifted the syringe- River bolted upright, "No!" she screamed, an arm reaching out towards her brother.

Simon jumped, the needle crashing down into Jayne's chest and injecting the adrenaline. The screen beeps settled down quickly as the shocked group turned back to River. "You killed him" she sobbed, her small form trembling as tears caked down her face, "you killed Jayne."

-

The smooth black ship sailed calmly through the black, engines purring as she watched the firefly class transport glide ahead of her. "Ever seen the inside of a Firefly, Mick?" Drew questioned calmly. Kicking his feet up onto the console he watched the small oblivious ship glide past them.

"Nope-" Mick answered as he leaned back against the consol. "Don't reckon any of the crew have either, Fireflies are about extinct these days boss. They've been replaced by something faster and sleeker."

"You oughtta," A waning smile flickered at the corners of the Captain's lips. "Really beautiful mess of machinery. With the right care and handle they speak to you. Rare find that one."

"Should I call the crew together?"

Drew shook his head, eyes narrowing, "Not yet- I got a feeling that if we stick to following that pretty little boat she'll fall into our hands soon enough and pay off at twice her worth."

Translations

_Fiat justitia ruat caelum - _Let justice be done through the heavens fall

_eum parcus - _spare him

_Non est tanti…_ - It's nothing...


	6. Caput Sex

Lessons in Latin.

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

Caput Sex

The screen beeps settled down as the shocked group turned back to River. "You killed him," she sobbed. Her small form trembled as tears caked down her face, "you killed Jayne."

"He's fine," Simon assured. Reaching down he pulled the needle out of the man's chest and checked his vitals. "In fact," Simon added, "he shouldn't be this fine after just going into shock."

Shaking her head violently, River pulled herself off the bed. "Killed Jayne- you killed him. No help for either of them now, it's all broken and lost-"

Jayne's form shifted slightly on the bed. Mal moved quickly over to the small girl, sweeping an arm around River's shoulders he started to pull her out of the infirmary. "Uh doc, let's continue this little discussion out yonder. Don't wanna be waking up the patient until I'm entirely sure who's gonna be waking up."

Only briefly pausing to ensure that Zoe and Simon were following, Mal pulled River out of the infirmary and over to the couch. Gently pushing her down, he fixed a hard glare on the sobbing younger girl. "Now, what do you mean Jayne's dead?"

"Drowned. Drowned in Janus' pain and fear. Thoughts were becoming one and Simon" she turned her red eyes to her brother, "Simon saw the signs of Jayne's fear and treated them. Only - only accidentally released Janus."

"That's not possible," Zoe declared from the background. "Janus is only a memory."

"Not a memory. Not anymore."

"Bi zui," Mal silenced the others before turning back to the sobbing girl, "How do we get him back?"

One of Zoe's eyebrows hiked into her hairline, "Captain?"

"Look it's about time everybody on this boat expected shitty things to happen. Adding abnormal shouldn't be that hard." Turning back to River, the captain leaned down. "How do I get my mercenary back?"

River shook her head, "Gone, drowned."

"You're giving up on Jayne awfully easy girl. My merc don't just disappear; he hangs around even if he ain't visible."

"River," Simon called quietly. Stepping around the captain he sat down next to his sister. "If Jayne's gone, why isn't Telphusa in control? If you're bound wouldn't you disappear with Jayne?" Shaking her head violently, the girl curled up into a tight ball. Simon grabbed a hold of River's arms and gently pulled her upright, "You're not thinking straight-"

Struggling in his grip, River shook her head, "Too many voices. Can't distinguish- I can't find my name. Can't be River Tam. He's gone too- taken away." Her large eyes flashed over the gathered crew in confusion as her body jerked away from Simon's touch. Scrambling off the couch she skittered away from the others towards the infirmary.

"You're on Serenity," Simon rose from the couch, spreading his hands wide in a soothing manner. "You remember Serenity? This is your home. I'm Simon; your older brother. We grew up on Osiris-"

"Osiris," River's voice rose an octave higher in panic, her gaze twitching across his face for a familiar sign. "Never heard of Osiris - someplace not broken yet?" Tears once again clouded her eyes as the small girl paused, taking a deep breath, "The voices, all different, saying different things, asking different questions. Can't focus-"

"_Telphusa_-" A hush fell over the small group as River spun around. Jayne stood in the doorway, gripping the frame for support as his body trembled. His eyes swept softly over her figure, fingers stretching out towards her as he choked down a breath of air. "Ego-" Stumbling forward a step, tears clouded his visions as he fell to his knees before the trembling girl. "_Mea culpa- mea maxima culpa_," he sobbed, pressing his face against her stomach.

River swayed slightly in place, her eyes lifting towards the overhead bulkheads as she took a shaky breath. Soft hands fell down to gently caress the top of his head, fingers interweaving with the short brown strands of hair. "_Acta est fibula_" she whispered soothingly, though the words choked her throat as a tear cracked down her red cheek. Leaning down she gently pulled his head away from her stomach, helping the larger man to his feet she smiled, though her lower lip still trembled, "_tuus ad vitam aeternam."_

Reaching up he ran a hand gently along her chin, tracing the familiar contours with a soft caress. Leaning down towards her, he breathed in her name, "_Telphusa" _one last time before pressing his lips to hers. Locking his arms around her waist he lifted the smaller girl off her feet. Tasting the familiar inside of her mouth, feeling the soft length of her body pressed close, he held tightly, as if afraid to let go.

"What in ruttin hell-" Mal barked. Recovering from his stupor he crossed the room and dropped his hand down to Janus's shoulder. "I don't care if you are a dead centurion, you don't go –"

Janus whipped away from River knocking his fist into the startled Mal's face. Zoe jumped reaching for the carbine. Janus spun back, knocking the weapon away from her hands as he tossed the startled captain into a nearby wall. Locking his fingers around the captain's neck, Janus lifted the man off the floor. Zoe launched at the mercenary, only to crash to the floor, Janus' boot landing on her jugular and pinning her in place.

"_Tempus abire tibi est."_

Starling out of her daze River squeaked, "_Janus siste_." Janus paused, glancing out of the corner of his eye towards River, his grip tightened and Mal groaned. "_Genus est mortis male viveret."_ Her words seemed to work as Janus released the captain, dropping the man to the floor. Lifting his boot off Zoe's jugular, the legionnaire stepped back.

Gasping for a breath, Mal grabbed for his weapon. Janus lunged forwards, grabbing the piece before Mal could cock back the leaver. Knocking the captain roughly back to the floor he questioned, "_Quod est id_," as he examined the piece of metal curiously. He glanced up for a second as Simon moved quickly over to help Zoe up from her dazed position on the floor.

"_Telum_" River answered as Jayne once again shoved the struggling captain back to the floor.

"Gorram it, somebody tell me what the hell's going on," Mal demanded from his position on the floor.

Jayne grinned, cocking back the lever he lowered the weapon towards the captain, "_ad hunc modum?"_

Her heart leaping in her throat River jumped forward, pushing the weapon's aim away from the captain. "Enough Jayne."

Janus's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he stared down at the younger woman. _"Jayne?"_

"You understand me?" Janus nodded in response and tucked the weapon into his pants. A giddy smile suddenly converged over River's features. Squealing like an excited child, she leapt into Janus' arms, peppering his face with kisses. "Not all gone- still in there. Jayne's still there-"

"_Jayne?"_

-

"_He is ill, sister,"_ the soft voice was cloaked by the ringing in Jayne's ears. "_Perhaps he can not function in this world, perhaps he is fading." _Silence settled over Jayne as the familiar voice went quiet.

A soft hand brushed over his forehead. Jayne pried his eyelids open and gazed up into the pair of blue eyes. "Good afternoon-" her accent was soft, barely noticeable on the English words. "Feel well?"

"Feel like I m about ta puke my guts up over your toga thingy." Pushing himself into a sitting position, Jayne glanced around the room; first at the other vaguely familiar woman standing at the foot of the bed, and then to Telphusa. At least he was dressed in the proper clothes and not the Janus skirt. "I ain't supposed to be here, am I?"

Telphusa nodded, "That would be correct. The fabric has been shifted around, you are now where you should not be, and Janus-" The young woman frowned. "Janus is now where he should not be." Folding her hands together in her lap, Telphusa turned her head away from Jayne. "You know who I am? You know I am not-"

"That you ain't my Crazy, yeah, figured that." Jayne turned his head away from Telphusa and glanced at the second woman in the room, "That your sister, Simon in girly form?"

"This is Octavia- she has come to assist me." Looking back over at the mercenary sprawled on the small bed, Telphusa smiled encouragingly. "Perhaps between the three of us we may return you to your body and-" Telphusa trailed off hesitantly, "-and perhaps- perhaps help you ensure that the cursed cycle is broken."

"Break the cycle-" Jayne paused as the images cleared through his mind. Despite feeling as though his entire body had been thrown off a cliff, his mind felt like it had been hot wired to a super computer. "We don t know jack shit about the circumstances surrounding more than half the deaths. How the hell we gonna stop anything without any sorta sense of understanding."

"Octavia and I have been going over what we know, which though is very little, can be of great hope. Our sister self, that is your River, is broken. Because she was such, she followed you into death instead of waiting for the tug of fate. She now knows more details of each life than ever before. She can be the key to breaking your ending, as we are the key to causing your ending-"

Jayne sat up abruptly and shook his head, "You ain't thinking straight, woman. It ain't River," Telphusa's eyebrows knitted together; "it s me. I m the ruttin key."

"_You can not-"_ Telphusa began slipping back into her native language. Catching herself, the young woman took a second to compose her thoughts, "I do not see the sense of your logic."

Jayne frowned, leaning back against the headboard he scratched at his temple, "Makes perfect sense. Bit the bullet- uh, bit the sword that is- by protecting you; my action, my choice. Supportin Caesar; my action. It ain't you that causes the end, it s me." Jayne eyebrows knitted together, the images clearing in his head. "I ain't fast enough."

"_What does speed have to do with this,"_ Octavia questioned.

"Makes perfect sense," Jayne declared, ignoring Octavia. "From what I remember, Janus jumped in front of the sword meant for you. Damn idiot wasn't usin' all them brains shoved in his head. He oughtta have figured another way round the situation. 'Stead he got himself killed when he didn t have ta." Pushing the rough blanket off, Jayne swung his legs off the bed, wincing as his body protested the movement.

"What do you think you are doing?" Telphusa jumped forward as the mercenary pushed himself to his feet.

Jayne wavered on his legs for a second, falling onto Telphusa s shoulder. "Ain't doin' no good layin' in that there bed. Get me out into some air, so's I can breathe." Jayne made to move forward, but suddenly found his knees crumpling, his weight falling fully onto Telphusa. The smaller woman squeaked as Octavia hurried over to her side.

Between the three of them they managed to push out of the room and into the garden, where Jayne sank wearily down to a bench as he groaned, "Havin' brains ain't worth all this damn pain."

"You are dead here," Telphusa declared, worry knotting across her brow as she watched him. "The pain you feel is the pain that Janus felt at his last moment. In essence you have switched bodies or spirits. Now you must feel what his spirit feels."

Jayne took a deep breath, trying to clear his thoughts, "How's a memory supposed ta feel?"

Telphusa jumped slightly at his words, "A memory? We are not memories." Exchanging a quick glance with Octavia, the young woman moved over to take a seat beside Jayne. "We are parts of your souls, separated only by death, reunited for short periods in the afterlife. We are all one."

-

Book perused his lips and leaned forward, "Perhaps we're missing the point. Perhaps young River meant book more metaphorically."

"No, she said she remembered it being on a shelf. It's gotta be a book," Kaylee declared from her position behind Wash. Sinking to the floor, the engineer's eyes began to droop. "Said something about how little Simon liked for her ta read it to him."

"Maybe we're trying too hard," Wash suggested. Leaning forward he hit a few selected keys on the board and watched the screen flash. A long list of 'the book' filled the view screen. "It was worth a try."

Pressing his fingers together Book leaned back in his chair, gaze drifting far off into the stars. "You may not be far off in your thinking. It would make sense that the book - as River put it- should be something far simpler than we guess, yet encompassing more than we thought."

"That don't make no kind of sense." Kaylee lifted her head up and pulled herself up from the ground. "Are you saying maybe it ain't just a book about Janus and Telphusa?"

"Exactly. We have all these names, all these people that resemble Jayne and River. All this information- Information has to have come from somewhere." Clicking on the first page, Book strolled down the page and clicked on the small source button. A list of references flashed up. Glancing quickly over the list, Book hit the back button and clicked on a different set of lives. Once again he scrolled down to the list of references. A slow smile cracked across the man's face, "Crossing the Tiber."

"Huh," Wash questioned.

Book quickly typed in the title of the book and clicked on the first link that appeared. "It's a collection of authentic historical narratives," he read, "and letters from ancient Rome until modern day. The last edition was rewritten by Samuel River - in loving dedication to his deceased sister, Sarah River Cobb in 2430."

Wash raised a weary eyebrow, "Any relation ya think?"

-

"_Who is this Jayne?"_

"_Jayne is Janus. Janus is Jayne,"_ River answered back, poking him in the chest she glared up at the taller man. _"You re in Jayne's body, you're not supposed to be here. You have to go back now."_

The legionnaire pushed her hand off his chest, _"I have no idea what you're saying woman, make sense. This is my body-" _

"_No, its not-" _

"_It's mine." _

"_Is not."_

Rubbing his sore neck, the captain watched the two figures bickering across the room. "What are they saying?"

Simon shrugged, "They re talking too fast." Turning back to Mal, the doctor leaned forward to check his red neck. "You re very lucky, a second longer and I don't think-"

Mal silenced the doctor with a glare, "Don t need a recount of the events doc, just need to figure out whatrquote s happening." Glancing back over at the two bickering forms, Mal pulled his hand away from his neck. "Right, so I've got an antiquated centurion on my boat, inhabiting the body of my mercenary. Don t that just make my day."

"What should we do, captain," Zoe asked. "Maybe we should knock Jayne out, don't think we can trust him in this form."

"Let the little albatross handle him." Turning away, he moved towards the cockpit. "Doc, keep an eye on them, if ya have to, knock him out with something. I'm gonna go get an eta on that book. If you think of a way to get my mercenary back, let me know."

Simon sighed, dropping back onto the nearest couch he watched the captain disappear. "Why can't anything be easy on this boat?"

Zoe raised a weary eyebrow at his question and turned back to watch the stranger in Jayne's body. "This ain't gonna end well."

-

"_You're not supposed to be here. You have to go back now, it's not you turn."_ River insisted rubbing her fingers against her temples._ "You don't understand, am not Telphusa, am River. It's Jayne and River s turn." _

"_You're speaking nonsense,"_ Janus frowned. His hands came up to rest gently on her shoulders as his expressions softened.

"_No, am not Telphusa!"_ Pulling away from him, River dropped into a crouch, covering her head with her arms.

Reaching down, Janus grabbed a hold of her arms, pulling River to her feet, _"You're speaking in riddles, nonsense. Have you gone mad, make sense of your words and thoughts."_

"_Can't, not Telphusa, nothing clear in this head."_ River whispered softly, the tears clouding her vision. _"She loved you. You know she loved you with all her heart. But I am not her, not the one."_ Pulling up close to him, River lifted a hand to gently trace his along the clean shaven chin. "Always liked the goatee." The tears choked her throat as her smile wavered, "Please, let Jayne come back. It hurts without him. Know- she knows that you hurt without her, but it's not your turn."

What do you mean it's not my turn, I don't understand this?" Releasing her, Janus rubbed at his temples.

"_Don't you remember? Don't you know our last words together, our last moment before- Where is Iovinus,"_ River questioned gently, tears clouding her eyes. _"Where is our son?"_

"_Iovinus_?" Janus glanced around the room, _"I don't know, playing in the gardens? Napping? It matters not-"_

"_No_-" River snapped, _"He's not out playing, he's- he's-"_ unable to bring the words forward the small girl turned, fleeing swiftly from the room.

Janus stood flustered, staring at the empty spot where she'd stood. "_Woman_," he finally barked, the anger quickly working through his veins. Fists clenching, he started forward.

"Woah," Simon declared, jumping in front of the fuming Janus. "Uh, mabye- mabye you ought to just let her be for a moment or two. She probably just needs a second to recompose herself."

Janus frowned as he stared down at the smaller man, "_Who you are_?"

"You know how River can be-" Simon stuttered. Zoe frowned in the background, moving quickly into the infirmary. "This whole situation probably just has her confused." Simon declared, taking an unconscious step away from the larger man. "Really if you just give her a moment to sort through the confusion-"

"_Fine, don't answer me, but move away before I snap your neck_." Steeling his shoulder, Janus advanced a step forward, "_Gods help me, I will. You look too much like Octavia for my liking-_" The sharp prick stung his arm and the legionnaire frowned, confused by the sudden dizzy rush that filled his head. Turning sharply he glanced down at Zoe's blurring image- "_Quintus_?"

Janus dropped to the floor.

"What did you give him?"

"Same thing you gave him before, wasn't expecting it to kick in so soon." Reaching down, Zoe hooked her arms underneath Jayne's form and started dragging the man towards the infirmary, Simon following after her.

"His body's been through a lot of trauma this past few weeks; he's bound to be weaker in this state." Leaning down, Simon grabbed a hold of the Janus' feet, helping to heft the heavy man up to the infirmary bed.

"What happened," Kaylee questioned, entering the room.

"Uh- well- it's a long story." Turning towards the engineer, Simon moved over to her side. "Any luck?"

Nodding, Kaylee handed him the small data screen. "Think it'll help?"

Simon looked up, his gaze meeting hers for a long second, "I don't know, I can only hope."

-

"Now you're the one that ain't making sense," Jayne turned to glance over Telphusa. "Ain't no way a piece of a soul can exist outside the whole. It's like splittin' apart the heart and expectin' it ta keep beating."

"One would think, but the fact remains that we exist separate from your forms. Perhaps we are simply forgotten in the transition to new souls, forgotten so that lives may be lived without- " Telphusa trailed off, her forehead wrinkling.

"Without what? Without knowing about all them ruttin' deaths, without rememberin' all the pain, and without knowing that there's some kinda bond 'tween us?" Jayne shook his head, "That don't make much sense if'n ya think about it for a second."

"_Since when has anything made sense,"_ Octavia snorted. Wandering towards a nearby fountain she sighed, "_Really, sister, you know we are not meant to understand, because we are not meant to create our own endings."_

"How do ya think one goes 'bout piecin' back a soul," Jayne declared, startling both the woman.

Telphusa frowned for a second, "What good-"

"Way I see it, maybe we ain't fighting fate," Jayne interrupted her. "Maybe something happened ta split us, and we've been off centered for so long, ain't been able to fix it. Or, maybe we are fighting 'gainst fate, but if that's the case you've been giving the information to the wrong person all these years. It's like I said, I'm the key. I need to know what River knows. I need ta see every single end, every single one of them bullets. I need to know what happens, so I can see 'em coming again."

"_What good will that do,"_ Octavia demanded. _"If you are the cause, then how can you be the cure too?"_

Jayne glared up at the woman, "I told you, I ain't fast enough by myself. I need all them other Jaynes in order ta be fast enough to out think and out move fate. It ain't River that makes the choice ta jump in front of the bullet, blade, whatever. It's me that takes the step that ends it. If'n I know how fate's always acted, than I know what in the hell not ta do. Like fool stupid things- such as steppin' in front of ruttin' swords."

Telphusa shook her head, "How? To reconnect all the missing pieces of your soul - in order to do that one must first be in control of their own spirit, and not residing in another's. Even if we can return you- if it had been possible to reclaim all the souls, we would have recognized the possibility long ago."

"Way my head sees it, is that the reason we ain't connected is 'cuz we get separated at the end," Jayne declared. Leaning forward he winced as his stomach twitched in pain. "I bet it's got something ta do with accepting things, know that Irquote m always this damn stubborn, means I ain't been accepting of the fact that I'm bound with some crazy girl. Ain't been wanting ta accept that I'm supposed ta die before my time. Well, not accepting that means I ain't accepting that it happened before. And that mean's I ain't accepting them past pieces of souls."

"_The ape makes a good point."_

River rolled her eyes at her sister's comment and turned to the mercenary, "Perhaps, perhaps there is a chance, but first we must return you to your body."

"It hurts don't it- the end hurts, bein' here hurts, it all hurts, don' it," Jayne suddenly questioned.

Telphusa's head lowered, tears suddenly clouding her eyes, "I-"

Jayne didn't wait for her to finish her sentence, "Hell yes, it hurts."

"_What does that have to do with anything?"_ Octavia moved to her sister's side, placing a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder. "_Make your point-"_

"More importantly," Jayne interrupted, "what does it have ta do with reacquaintin' souls." Smirking happily, the mercenary leaned back. "I got me an idea as to how to go about answering that question, might piece a soul back together while I'm at it."

The two women turned towards Jayne.

"All I got ta do- is die."

-

Latin Translations-

Ego-I

Mea culpa - it was my fault

Mea maxima culpa - it was very much my fault **or** it was my great fault

Acta est fibula - itrquote s all right

Tuus ad vitam aeternam - yours to eternity

Tempus abire tibi est - it is time for you to go away

Siste - stop

Genus est mortis male viveret - to live in evil is a kind of death. _Ovid thought_

_of this one._

Quod est id - what is it

Telum- weapon

Ad hunc modum- like this


	7. Caput Septum

Lessons in Latin.

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

Caput Septem

For Slaygirl – without whom this chapter would be nonexistent. For Mik109 whom provided inspiration and for Tara – whose awesomeness is beyond words.

**WARNING! This chapter contains _SPOILERS_ for the end of the Fluffy Pink Series.** If you don't want to be spoiled as to how it happens (cuz ya'll should know WHAT happens) than I suggest you cut out right now. Thereby also CONSIDER YOURSELF still WARNED: So either grab a teddy bear, some tissues, your handy dandy security blanket, or turn round right now and go read one of my fluffy fics as the Dark Muse is still in control.

---&---

_The flashing lights of the ambulance swirled red and blue through the dark night. The black Mercedes skidded to a halt. Throwing the driver's door open, __Sam took only a second to register the scene before sprinting for the door. _

"_River!" His voice cracked as Sam pushed past a startled MP. The familiar living room lay in wreck; furniture overturned and glass shards crunching beneath his feet. The panic in his throat hitched up, his heart pounding furiously as the two __E.M.T.'s__ wheeled the gurney through the living room. His eyelids fluttered closed in a brief prayer, flashing open to watch the cold unfamiliar face wheel past. _

_Launching forward again, Sam pushed past another MP and stepped into the brightly lit bedroom. The furniture had been upturned in several places, but there in the center of the room sobbed his sister. Relief- it put his mind to such ease that Sam felt like he could breathe for the first time that night. _

"_Thank god you're oka-" he took a step forward before it dawned on him__ The second figure on the bed lay unmoving, red smeared across the chest. _

_River's head slowly rose as she fought to take a breath between the sobs. Her brown eyes turned to meet Sam's as her voice __cracked__, "He's gone Sam, he left me." Her hand tightened on Jayne's, breath hitching in her throat. "I can't live without him, I can't breathe - help me Sam-"_

"Simon?" The data pad dropped to his lap in shock. Shaking his head to clear his thought, Simon looked up at the worried figure of Kaylee. She stood in the doorway, her face wrinkled with worry, "Did ya get any sleep last night?"

"Sleep-" Simon wiped a hand over his eyes and glanced down at his watch. "No, I guess not."

Stepping into the small room, Kaylee crossed over to take a seat on the edge of the bed. "Where'd ya get ta?"

"The Ballerina and the Colonel. They just- well, Jayne's just died and River's following in his footsteps." Simon picked up the pad and tossed it over to the nightstand.

"Reckon that's gotta be about more than half way through." Kaylee frowned, reaching out she gently rubbed a hand across Simon's shoulder. "Maybe ya outta get some sleep. Won't do River or Jayne no good if you're falling over."

"I can't sleep knowing that- knowing what I know." Simon buried his face in his hands for a brief second. "There's all this proof that she's going to die before Jayne's next birthday and nothing I've ever done, nothing I've ever tried has saved her."

Kaylee furrowed her eyebrows together, "What do you mean?"

"These are all my attempts." He motioned over to the data pad. "They document every try, every action I've taken to prevent the deaths. They are in themselves an attempt to stop the next set. Everything I've tried has failed: racing to the scene, stepping in front of bullets that never seem to hit, trying to figure out the equation-"

"The equation," Kaylee interrupted. "This ain't no math problem-"

"The universe doesn't just act on whims." Simon pushed himself into a standing position and shook his head. "It's all calculated, figured events that have chain reactions that set other events into motion. Actions and consequences."

Simon paused for a second, "A mathematical set of events and triggers that react to other events and create- fate." Turning away from the Kaylee, Simon shook his head. "Only not so much set in stone. We have all the different scenarios here. There must be a way to trigger a different set of actions; there must be a calculation that can off set the ending. We just need to find the key, the right equation to turn the events in a different direction."

"You figure you can do that by reading about all the lives?"

"It's the only thing I have to go on." Simon moved back over to the bed. "So far I know only two things are always the same; Jayne dies protecting River from someone who wants to hurt one of them and River doesn't last a day after he dies."

"That ain't much to go on. What are you gonna do? Lock 'em both up and throw away the key. That ain't no way to live a life, Simon."

"No, no. We've tried that and it failed too, there are loopholes to every attempt. No, there has to be an action, something that's done differently." Frowning to himself, the doctor scratched at his neck nervously. "Maybe we should just leave!"

"How's that gonna help," Kaylee questioned. Panic squeaked through her voice as her hand instinctively reached out to clutch Simon's arm.

Silence ticked by for a second, "They haven't built up a bond yet. If I pull her away know, if we go our separate ways nothing will come of this. She'll never fall in love, he'll never marry her. They won't-"

"Yeah, until you get caught and the Captain decides to fly in and save your behind."

Simon's head jerked back indigently, "I won't get caught." A smile slipped across Kaylee's lip. "I've still got connections."

"With what money are you going insure them connections ain't broke?"

Simon's shoulder remained steadfast. "It will have to work, I don't see any other option."

-

"Time to end this - all I gotta do is die," Jayne explained. "Need to be connected with this Janus fellow. Acceptin' the past and this idiot oughtta be the key."

"I don't think it will be that easy." Octavia commented from the sideline. "What if you must accept each other? Janus is stubborn to a fault, much like yourself. How are you even going to draw him back?"

"You're gonna have ta kill me."

River shook her head violently, "That is not an option. You are not thinking. What of the consequences? How can- you don't know what will happen? You may very well kill yourself in the process."

"I got this covered woman. Use that damn brain of yours, we switched when I experienced his death. Well, happens to be that I died too. It's about time ta let him experience a little bit of me." Reaching down, Jayne pulled his gun from its hostler and checked to ensure that it was loaded. "Thank god I got the proper hardware- if'n I remember correctly, which I do, that ruttin' bastard shot me in the chest." Poking his chest Jayne glanced at the two women, "Means you're gonna have ta aim about here."

Telphusa shook her head adamantly, "No I refuse, we- you, you can't. I won't let you. I won't do it."

"I ain't asking you."

"Pardon?"

Turning around, Jayne walked over to Octavia. "How's 'bout you? Know ya hated Janus' guts for the longest time. Now's your chance ta get even at him for stealin' your little sister."

Octavia wrinkled her brow for a second. She glanced down at the weapon in the mercenary's hand then up to his face as she held out her hand.

-

Mal moved down the stairs into the guest quarters, the small data pad clutched tightly in his palm. He paused on the bottom step, glancing only briefly towards the doctor's open door before turning for the infirmary. "Rutiin' hell!" Turning back towards the guest room, he started for the open door. "Doc, where in the hell is your patient?"

Simon's head poked out of the guest quarters, Kaylee following after him. "Last I checked he was sedated in the infirmary."

"Well he ain't there anymore," Mal motioned towards the very empty and quiet infirmary. "Unless he's gone invisible along with antiquated, I ain't seeing no mercenary or legionnaire."

"That's not possible."

"Looks mighty possible to me." Turning away, Mal moved swiftly towards the infirmary. "I don't care what anybody says, it ain't good to have an antique roaming about the ship. Kaylee, get to the engine room and keep it covered. Doc, check upstairs in the galley. It's a small ship, he couldn't have gone far." Turning on his heels, Mal headed up the stairs towards the cargo bay.

"Ain't quite sure why everything's got to be so- wo de mah," Mal cursed as he stumbled over the doorway. Catching himself he spun around to stare at the still form of River as she lay stretched out before the doorway. "Well now, little albatross, reckon there are plenty of places you could be laying around. Mind telling me why you happen to chose this particular doorway. Liable to hurt-"

"Flowing waters course beneath." River pressed her ear close to the floor, her small body trembling almost in fear as she listened to some unheard whispers. "It's a bridge – connects between two worlds."

Mal's eyebrow hitched into his hairline, "Reckon one could see it that way."

Lifting her head from the floor River turned her eyes back to the captain. "All bridges must be crossed."

"Reckon so, unless you decide to take the other way round and get a little wet."

"Isn't safe, water drowns." River slowly pushed herself to her feet, long ways of brown draping around her face as she faced the captain. "Water makes things heavy and swallows them whole."

"Plenty of ways to cross a river without a bridge."

"Not the point, nor the method that matters. He can't cross. Not yet." Her dark eyes slowly lifted to Mal's.

"Right, can't cross. Got'cha." Glancing away from the girl for a second, Mal furrowed his brow, "Reckon you got a way to keep him from crossing." Silence answered him, and Mal spun back to face the girl, but only empty space met him. "Yup, still eerily cryptic and silent-footed. Least not everything has changed." Shaking the feeling off, Mal spun on his heels and froze as he ran into the towering form. "Janus, just the man I was lookin' for."

The legionnaire raised a weary eyebrow at the other man, _"Where is Telphusa?"_

"Taking a guess here, but that was probably something about lookin' for the little bit. Seems to me like you ought to leave well enough alone."

"_Look little man, I have no time to bother with you. Simply tell me what I wish to know and be on your way." _Janus starred down at Mal impatiently,_ "Well, plebian? Why am I bothering to speak to you, it is obvious that you do not understand civilized tongue." _Turning around the legionnaire started back towards the stairs. _"I __thought__ I saw Quintus's slave girl wandering around here, she will assist me."_

"Woah," jogging around to block the former mercenary's path, Mal motioned towards the infirmary. "Think you might want to head that way – nicer view and all."

"_Nicer view?"_

"No good this way- bad stuff." The captain began motioning towards the infirmary again. "You want to go that way." Janus raised an eyebrow. "Reckon you seem to understand something I'm saying. The look in your eyes says that much. So I think it'd be in your best interests to comply, understand?"

A dangerous light sparked though Janus's eyes. _"I see the first beating was not enough to teach you manners- this can be remedied." _

_-_

"_How do I handle this?"_

"You have both gone insane. I will not let you do this. We have no idea of the consequences, how this could affect both of you-"

"Look here, what ya do is put both your hands like this and keep a steady aim." Handing her the gun, Jayne wrapped her hands around it. "Focus it on the chest using this little sight here. Than ya just pull this trigger here- don't got too many bullets so we're gonna have ta get it right the first time. Sides don't want ta end up full of bullets holes- that'd be mighty painful. Now there'll be a little after shock from the force. But keep that thing steady."

Stepping in front of the gun, Jayne took several steps back. "Damn this is gonna hurt like hell."

"Stop this I won't-"

Octavia pulled the trigger.

-

Mal blinked in confusion as the imposing form of Janus crashed to the floor. "What in the hell?"

Janus eyes were open, blinking rapidly as he took a hissing breath. His hands moved instantly to his chest, the color draining from his face rapidly. _"Gods above-"_

"Shit! I didn't do nothing- what the hell happened." Dropping down to the man's side, Mal glanced over the moaning figure. "You ain't having a heart attack, are ya?" Reaching down, Mal pulled Janus's hand away from his chest. "Wo de mah!" A small red spot was rapidly growing in the center of Janus's chest, blood soaking into the thin material.

"That ain't right." Panic set in as Mal ripped open the shirt exposing the fresh gunshot wound. "Last I checked healed wounds don't suddenly re-open!"

-

Octavia dropped the gun with a horrified cry. "Well that weren't so bad." Jayne choked out, a hand reflexively coming up to cover the gaping wound. "Good aim." Jayne's legs suddenly gave out from beneath him and he crashed hard to the floor.

Telphusa let out a startled cry, dropping down beside the bleeding man. "Jayne, Jayne, gods above please, not again, not again. Jayne, can you hear me."

"Don't remember it being this painful before." Turning his glazing eyes over to Telphusa, Jayne cracked a smile, "Don't hurt as much as the sword did."

-

"_Here's the deal, Captain Reynolds." The small man motioned to his two lackeys, "My boys are ready to go, more than ready to go, but I think first we need to come to some sort o' concession."_

_Jayne's stomach dropped, "Ain't no need to be makin' any sort of concessions. That ain't part of the deal." A glare from the captain silenced him._

"_What sort of concessions are you talking about?"_

_A toothy grin flashed across the dirty face, the glint of silver flashed out into the open, the resounding click and the thundering boom followed after. He saw the bullet only after he felt it. The ground jumped up as the air filled with dull thud of rapid gunfire. _

-

"He's lost too much blood, I need to do transfusions."

"_Telphusa_." Janus can see the girl standing in the doorway. She's watching with a worried face, afraid of what's happening. But she confuses him more than anything now. She looks like his Telphusa, but he's suddenly very convinced that she's not.

"I don't understand. This isn't possible. Wounds don't just re-open after a year."

Janus groaned from the bed, eyes searching rampantly around the room for an image to recognize. Unfamiliar words jumped to the tip of his tongue but fell off before he can grasp the meaning of them. He remembers the bullet now– small, silver – cutting a clear path through the air. He remembers the face that pulled the trigger, ugly little bastard not worth a dime.

"His body's fighting it- almost as though- he's going into cardiac arrest, I'm losing him."

"Nobody's dying on my boat today. Ain't lost a crew member yet, and I ain't planning too."

Janus chuckled slightly, "Never could accept nothin'."

-

Telphusa small form huddled over the prone one of Jayne, tears caking down her face as she watched the last breath slip from his lips. A small sob fell from her lips as she clutched the body. "Gods above." Her voice cracked, her own body trembling in fear of the unknown. For the first time in decades she's unsure of what fate will befall her.

Taking a last gaping breath as she fought to resume control, Telphusa pulled herself up and wiped defiantly at the tears. "_What's done is done."_ Glancing over at her sister she moved over towards a bench. _"All we can do now is wait."_

Shaking off the horror of her actions, Octavia stumbled over._ "Wait? Wait for what?"_

"_If we return to the spiritual __plains__, than we know that River is dead and the plan has failed. If- well – I don't know what else may happen, but I'm sure we'll be able to tell the difference."_

-

"He's dead."

The small infirmary fell into a cold silence. All eyes moved swiftly from the one still form to Rivers. Simon's heart skipped a beat –"No, I'm not letting it end like this, Book get me-"

"I'm fine, Simon"

"There has to be some way- I can't just-"

"Simon, I'm fine." Stepping slowly across the room, River laid a calming hand on her brother's arms. "Tiber's not crossed yet." Smiling reassuringly she turned and trotted out of the room as though nothing of significance had happened.

"He ain't dead." Mal frowned as he starred down at the unmoving form of his mercenary.

"What? But his vitals-"

"Trust your sister doc, if she says he's not crossed the Tiber yet, than I believe her." Turning away from the body, Mal moved stiffly for the door. "It doesn't make any sense, he's dead but he ain't. He's Jayne, but he isn't. Yup, everything's lookin' to be just about normal."

"Normal?"

"Screwed up, complicated, everything going wrong- yup sounds about normal. Any minute know Wash is going to come over the intercom and tell me that the ships about to get sucked into a black hole." Confident that he'd gotten his point across the captain resumed his pace towards the infirmary door.

Mal stumbled as the ship shook. Wash's voice cracked over the intercom, "Uh, Mal, you might want to get up here."

"I just had to open my damn mouth."

-


	8. Caput Octo

Lessons in Latin.

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

_Caput Octo_

For Mik109 – for holding my hand throughout the entire chapter, slaygirl for being awesome. And for Tara – whose awesomeness is STILL beyond words.

WARNINGS – they still apply, keep hold of that teddy bear, get some more tissues, and cling to the security blanket as the Dark Muse is still in control.

-

Mal took the steps into the cockpit two at a time. "Tell me it ain't bad." A glance in Zoe's direction dashed any hope Mal had on the rocks. Wash shook his head, his gaze glued to the screens as he maneuvered the ship smoothly through space. "Tell me it ain't the Alliance?"

Wash's eyebrow hiked up for a second, "It's not the Alliance."

"Well that's a bonus."

"Pirates sir." Zoe's glanced back at the captain for a second, her hand squeezing Wash's shoulder gently. "They're trying to wheel us in for a boarding, that's standard protocol for pinching ships."

"Wo de mah," Mal rubbed at his forehead, "Can you lose them?"

Shaking his head, Wash aligned the ship towards a nearby planet. "I take her down near planet atmo and that might scramble their lock. It's only a slim chance, but it's something."

"I'll take whatever chance I can get, do it." Turning towards his second, "Zoe-"

"Contingency plan, sir?"

Mal nodded, "They'll probably go for the dock door, but rig the hatch just in case. Arm Kaylee and Book, I'll take care of the doc and his sister. Inara?"

"Not due back for another forty two hours," Zoe answered.

"Good. Go to it." With a quick nod, Zoe moved away, her hand lingering familiarly on Wash's shoulder for a brief second before breaking contact. Mal turned back to the screen, his forehead wrinkling, "And me without my mercenary."

-

Jayne stood in the center of the cargo bay slowly regaining his senses. The nerve endings in his body were tingling as though someone had sent a jolt of electricity through his body. Sweat beaded down his forehead as he fought to regain control over his senses. Beneath him the solid grating gave him a sense of strength as he sorted though the discombobulated memories that floated around his head. His hands trembled slightly as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Okay," Jayne declared to himself. "Reckon if'n I can feel pain I ain't in no sort of heaven." On the other hand there were no flames licking his boots to sign any sort of hell.

"_Jayne," _the familiar voice barked across the cargo bay and the floor beneath him seemed to shift into the softer of earth. Around him the cargo bay morphed into the softer setting of the Italian plains complete with gently blowing wind.

Jayne slowly turned to glare at his mirror image, "What in the hell you'd go and change the scenery for?" Jayne's hand dropped reflexively down to the weapon strapped on his side, an action that Janus mirrored by gripping the hand of the sword strapped to his side.

"_You are the cause of this?"_

"Didn't change the scenery if'n that's what you're speakin of, might have had a hand in bringing ya," Jayne answered confidently. "Course none of this would've happened if'n you'd keep your ruttin' nose in the past."

"_I belong where I am–"_

"Shove it, you've been dead for the past couple hundred years." Jayne watched the other man raise an eyebrow. "You tell me you forget all about that there sword running through your gut? You knock your head or something? Stop pretending, you lost your ruttin' chance. It ain't your turn ta play with crazy."

Another twitch of the eyebrow followed by,_ "Crazy?"_

"River."

A sneer flashed across Janus's lips, _"River – you speak of Telphusa." _His hand tightened on the sword handle. "_I see why you have done this now. Your attempts to bewitch Telphusa have failed. Instead you seek to eliminate the source of her attractions -"_

"I ain't no witch," Jayne answered with an indignant cry. "Never bewitched nobody, girl was probably just usin' them smarts of hers." A smile couldn't help but twitch across Jayne's face. "Crazy rebuff ya advances or somethin'?" His heart jumped for a second at the prospect of River slapping off Janus.

"_One would not call her open embrace a rebuff."_

The smile vanished from Jayne's face as his spine stiffened. "You touched my River –" Jayne paused for a second, the words registering in his head. " 'My' of course referring to that fact that she's 'my' timeline River and ain't 'your' timeline River. Ain't meaning to say 'my' as in 'mine', cuz I don't think about little crazy girls like that or nothin'."

Janus raised an eyebrow at the explanation, _"It matters not how you use your pronouns when you refer to Telphusa, nor is it an issue of your concern as to how I greet my wife."_

"She ain't your wife – she's mine- least that's to say she might be my missus at some point in the future if'n things work that way. Not that I'd like the little bit as a wife or nothin- can't cook, probably can't knit." Jayne froze, realization hitting him, "What the hell am I sayin."

"You are overcompensating, attempting to mask an obvious preference for my wife by claiming you are not interested."

Jayne's head jerked back, "Your wife? How many times I gotta tell you that crazy ain't your wife."

"_This argument is pointless, she certainly responded as my wife-"_

"Responded," Jayne's eyebrow hiked in to his hairline. "What's crazy got to be respondin' to?" It took only a second for the thought to click in Jayne's brain. "Ruttin' hell, you kissed another man's wife?" The mercenary didn't wait for an answer as he yanked the gun from its holster. Janus grabbed for his sword, pulling it from the sheath smoothly as he braced for the oncoming fight.

Jayne's finger twitched over the trigger, "I didn't touch your little missus and you got to go puttin' paws all over crazy. Probably did it in front of the captain too, now I'm gonna go back and get space blasted." A flash of anger blinded Jayne, as he felt the solid metal of grating reform beneath his feet, the heavy smell of mechanics hit his nose.

"My affairs and actions with my wife are my own."

"It ain't your ruttin' turn." His finger jerked on the trigger.

-

"What's going on?" Simon demanded as the Captain raced into the infirmary.

"No time to answer, we're bein' boarded." Grabbing the doctor by the arm he yanked him towards the door. "Grab your sister and get to a shuttle."

"What about Jayne? We can't just leave him here."

"Don't worry about him."

Yanking his arm out of Mal's grip, the doctor turned back to the infirmary. "Haven't you been paying attention for the last few days. My sister is nothing without Jayne-"

"He's dead," Mal snapped. Simon froze. "How many space pirates do you know that will set foot near a dead body when they don't know what the hell killed it? Reckon that would be a slim to none, doc." The ship moaned and lurched suddenly. "We ain't got time to be arguing, in about two seconds this ship is going to be crawling with pirates and they ain't the cuddly kind. They'll sell your sister back so fast it'll give you a nose bleed doc."

"It's too late," River's voice shocked both men as they turned to where the girl stood in the doorway. The ship shook violently for a second.

The comm. crackled, filling the ship with Wash's voice. "Mal-"

-

The gun clicked several times and Jayne cursed, tossing the worthless piece of metal away. Turning back he ducked the swipe of the sword and knocked his fist into Janus's face.

His mirror image stumbled backwards and Jayne grabbed the other man's sword arm, pinching the nerve until the sword dropped to the floor. Knocking his elbow back into Janus's face, Jayne reached down for the blade.

The pair of legs knocked into Jayne and the mercenary crashed towards the floor. Hitting the ground with force, Jayne rolled quickly to avoid any unseen attack. Beneath him the hard metal suddenly shifted to the prickly waves of grain. "This ain't helping." Jumping to his feet he blinked rapidly as the bright blue sky overhead blinded him for a second. The sunlight blinked out as a black object descended, the fist impacted with his face.

Shaking off the hit, Jayne launched forward, slamming the legionnaire's body against the rapidly forming staircase. The hard smell of metal filled Jayne's nostrils as he hands tightened around the other man's neck, his body pinning the other form against the biting metal. "If you think I'm just gonna sit by and let ya take over you got another thing coming."

-

"Got the woman and the girl cornered in the engine room." Mick reported calmly as he watched his Captain examine the contents of the infirmary cabinets. "We'll weed them out soon enough. The pilot's wounded, but he'll live. Shepard, or whatever he is cuz no way I figure of man of god could handle a weapon like that, well, he's tending to the pilot in the cargo bay."

"The Captain?"

"Vanished, got the crew searching for any kind of hiding spots, but can't seem to trace him. Gonna drill the crew and flush him out." The Captain nodded and Mick turned away, than seemed to pause as he turned back to his captain. "Uh crew roster says there are two more passengers aboard. Ain't had sight or sound of them, so we figured they must've disembarked earlier. Other than that we just got our friend here." Mick jerked his head towards the still unmoving body.

Captain Drew turned and glanced over the still body. "Reckon it's a good thing somebody got to him before we got here." A shiver raced down his spine. "Keep your eyes open for the passengers – could be they disembarked, or maybe the captain's got something more than his ship to protect."

-

"They've got Kaylee." Simon jumped slightly as River's voice floated through the dark. A crack of light sliced into the darkness. The small hands pried the panel lid open, reviling the interior of the empty galley. "What are you doing."

River slipped out of their hiding space with graceful movements. She floated over to the door and peered down towards the cockpit. Only one dark figure could be seen rambling around the cockpit. "Can't stay in the dark – don't worry Simon, they're down in the belly." Turning she moved lightly back across the room, peering down into the silent, dark engine room. "Waiting for the bad before they start ripping apart. Can't stop it, the path is unclear, too many branches."

"What are you talking about- the bad? You mean Mal?"

River shook her head, "Not the Captain. Waiting to see what will happen, waiting for fate to give the key to act, but there are too many branches, can't tell which way to act, which to take."

"Jayne's technically dead, River. He can't die if he's already dead."

"One will come out." River turned back to her brother, "Fate demands the Tiber must be crossed before death flows." Turning back to stare down the ship, River lowered her chin and narrowed her eyes. "Things must be done."

-

"If you think I'm just gonna sit by and let ya take over you got another thing coming." The other man's face was turning a slow shade of blue. "The girl is mine."

Grasping for a breath of air, Janus struggled against the strength of the other man. _"You have no right to claim her as your own. What life have you lived together, what children have you shared? You've not touched her once in the passion, you've not feared for her, not loved her as only I could_." Janus choked out, his grip struggling to pry Jayne hands off. "_You can never know the love I hold for Telphusa. You will never sacrifice as I did-"_

"And what the hell gives you the right to talk," Jayne demanded. "What do you know about River, what the hell do you goddamn know about us – nothing. You don't think I know what the hell it is to take the bullet for the girl-" Jayne froze. His grip slackened as he suddenly took a startled step away from the gasping legionnaire.

"_Here's the deal, Captain Reynolds." The small man motioned to his two lackeys__ "My boys are ready to go, more than ready to go, but I think first we need to come to some sort o' concession."_

_Jayne's stomach dropped, "Ain't no need to be makin' any sort of concessions. That ain't part of the deal." A glare from the captain silenced him._

"_What sort of concessions are you talking about?"_

_River stepped forward from the gallery, Simon racing after her. A toothy grin flashed across the dirty face, the glint of silver flashed out into the open. The gun swung wide towards the oncoming girl, the resounding click and the thundering boom followed after. He saw the bullet, felt his feet move without thought, felt the bullet. The ground jumped up as the air filled with dull thud of rapid gunfire. River's strangled cry of fear reached his ears. A small sense of triumph suddenly washed into the pain. She was safe- she was fine—_

Jayne took a deep grasping breath, his gaze slowly falling back to the legionnaire. "Don't make sense. A fellow don't forget stepping in front of a bullet easily." Jayne's head wiped around to stare down at Janus. "Don't forget a gut to the sword either-" He froze in the thought, his mind wrapping around the images presented in his head.

Turning away Jayne crossed the cargo bay to where the sword lay. Bending down he picked up the blade and examined it for a second. Holding the sword by the blade he pointed the tip towards his chest. "That's the point, ain't it? We ain't supposed to remember. Not supposed to understand, not supposed to accept."

His gaze flickered back over to Janus. "But you- you're me. And I'm you. Shared the same pain. The same love. Its pieces of the same soul. We're one." With a precision trust he drove the sword into his chest.

Janus vanished.

Jayne felt the pain spike up through his soul, beneath him his legs gave way as he crashed to the floor, the familiar pain washing through his chest. "Done this before," he gasped. Felt the lungs burning, the air coming harder. Yanking the sword out, Jayne rolled over grasping the wound as the pain rippled through his body.

A flash of blue caught the corner of his eye and Jayne turned. His image stood in the door way, dressed in the smart blue of some kind of military uniform. An understanding clicked in Jayne's mind. With a red hand he reached out for the weapon lying near him. It had morphed from his usual piece to the smooth black metal of a 9mm. Grasping the handle, Jayne didn't bother to check if it was loaded but aimed it towards the center of his chest, somehow exactly sure of where the bullet needed to hit. His finger jerked on the trigger, the bullet impacted with his chest as the pain washed through his veins.

A pair of invisible hands seemed to grab his head, pulling it back as he felt the cool slice of metal slit into his throat. His body jerked as the bullet impacted once here, once there, bullets rippling at different impacts from different angles. The fever burned hot through his body, the virus spreading its poison through his veins. Flames licked at his skin, felt the metal impact with his body, the breath forced out first by the feeling of force, than by the crushing waves of water filling deep into his lungs. The arrow pierced deep, the hot iron stabbing deep into his skin as the air was strangled from his lips. Pain consumed his whole body as every form of death swallowed him.

Lying on the vanishing cargo bay floor, Jayne choked on his own breath, "I'd do it again."


	9. Caput Novem

Lessons in Latin.

By Lady Cleo

All Disclaimers Apply.

_Caput Novem_

WARNINGS – they still apply, keep hold of that teddy bear, get some more tissues, and cling to the security blanket as the Dark Muse is still in control.

-

The tight space had not been built to hold a man of Mal's size or for any other purpose than just to occupy empty space, but damn it to all hell if Mal didn't love the fool that had designed the tight little niche in the ships hull. Pressing his ears close to the hatch he listened quietly to the man on the other side, fairly certain that the idiots that had taken his ship were now messing with the controls of his ship. And that was his dilemma.

The man on the other side of the panel wasn't going to just knock himself out. Though the tight little niche kept Mal from capture, it by no means solved the problem at hand. If this bunch followed standard procedure his crew was gonna end up joining Jayne in a more permanent sense. Despite all the wacky that had been happening, Mal was fairly positive that this problem wasn't going to solve itself with reincarnation. Though he wasn't entirely sure how the bound/recreation thingy worked, he was sure of two things; one - that it wasn't an instant coffee type thing. And two - that it didn't have any policy against discrimination.

Of course, it wouldn't hurt if his mercenary decided to rejoin the living right about now.

-

The pain slowly ebbed away leaving Jayne numb and scarred, his body throbbing from the after effects. Eyes still clenched shut he took a deep breath just to feel the rush of air into his lungs. Something soft and light covered his body, shocking him into awareness as he finally opened his eyes to blinding white. His fingers pushed into the air and felt the soft weight of material slip away, revealing the bright lights of the infirmary.

Jayne lay for a second, slowly taking stock of his limbs. A dull ringing echoed through his ears, quaking through the innards of his skull. Blinking rapidly he tired to shake the dreamlike feeling that seemed to cloud his vision and moved his arm slowly, testing limbs, still stiff from lack of use. Something soft and wet lay stretched across his chest, drying against his skin. Lifting his head, Jayne peered down at the bandage soaked with blood. He tugged at the gauze, reviling red smeared skin, but no wound.

The clash echoed in from the cargo bay. Jayne's head whipped up as muffled voices called to each other. Slowly sitting up, he swung his legs off the bed and dropped to the floor, moving slowly, quietly towards the door. Panic stirred in his stomach, his hand dropped down to the holster – empty. Jayne bit into his lip. "Ya just had to pull it on Mal didn't ya?"

A shadow passed by the cargo bay door, the figure almost unseen, but distinct enough to be unfamiliar. Jayne's fist tightened for a second and he turned back to the infirmary, a cold shiver running down his spine. "So this is how you're gonna play it?" Glancing over the room, he reached for a tray of the doc's tools and grabbed a scalpel. "We'll be seein' about that dying part this time around."

-

Simon glanced down the room to where his sister perched peering out the doorway, silently plotting her next course of action. This is where things would be skewed, where fate would step in and end Jayne's life, thus ending River's. This is where he always failed.

Across the room River's spine stiffened for a second.

Burying his face in his hands, Simon shook his head. He had to do something- he had to be able solve the equation. The key lay in his hands. But how to use the key evaded him - Jayne would take the bullet for his sister again. Unless someone else – Simon's head slowly lifted. That was it. He could -

A hand tapped on Simon's shoulder and he spun around- pain lanced though his body as the hand struck his jugular. His knees gave way, body crashing to the floor.

"Sorry, Simon."

Hooking her arms beneath him, River dragged the dead weight across the room and into the pantry. Carefully laying him on the floor, she did her best to make sure he was comfortable and kissed him on the cheek. "Can't help this time." Jumping up she moved back for the door and tapped in the sequence, locking the pantry and overriding the safeties, shorting out the control.

Spinning on her heels, River froze. The large body stepped into her pathway. Dark hazel eyes fell down to meet hers. The breath hitched in her chest –

"Ain't no ghost, girl."

Blinking up at Jayne, River reached out with a trembling hand to touch his chest. Her fingers spread wide, feeling the pulse of his heart for a second before clenching tightly onto the material of the torn shirt. Stepping forward she buried her face into his neck.

A smirk settled across Jayne's face as he reached up to stroke the waves of brown hair. Hooking a finger under her chin, he slowly lifted her face towards his, "Reckon that means ya missed me." Jayne's thumb stretched out, gently stoking the line of her cheek. "Ain't been but a day or two."

River shook her head gently, "Longer," tears began welling up in her eyes, "so much longer."

Jayne frowned for a second as he stared down at her. In the soft contours of her face he saw the flashes of so many different emotions, the long history of so much pain and joy. He felt like a vice had suddenly constricted around his heart and was slowly squeezing the air out of his body. Leaning forward he pressed his lips to hers in a soft kiss. His hand fawned out over her cheek as his free arm wrapped around her waist pulling her closer. River's face flushed as her hands unclenched from his shirt, moving up to wrap softly around his neck.

Jayne pulled back, catching his breath as he stared down into her bright face. Tracing his fingers along her chin, Jayne leaned forward again, pressing his lips back to hers. The volt of electricity spread up through his veins and his grip locked on her waist as they faltered, stumbling backwards. River's back hit pantry door, her nails digging into his shoulder blade. Jayne's hand traced lightly down her neck, trailing over the smooth muscles and up to catch a hold her hands, his fingers entwining with hers.

-

Something had happened. Mal pressed his ear closer to the panel, listening to the quick retreating footsteps. Pushing open the panel quietly, he climbed out into the cockpit sealing the compartment closed behind him. A few quick hits on the control panel and he altered the auto pilot. Kaylee was gonna kill him for this later, but- reaching under the panel he pulled the wires, finding the two he need, he slit them and crossed them both. If he was lucky it would take his would be captors a while to figure out they were going in a wide circle. If he was unlucky it would take them a good thirty minutes to fix the wiring situation.

Mal turned away from the control panel to see what had districted the pilot. The sleazy little man was slinking along the corridor towards the dinning room, weapon held ready as though he sought to catch something. A flash of moment in the dinning room caught Mal's eyes. Checking his own weapon he moved forward.

-

"You gotta go back."

River glanced up at Jayne with a confused frown. "Back?"

Jayne nodded. "You gotta go back to Telphusa, ya gotta accept it all, all the pain, all the fear, all the past." River's forehead only wrinkled. "I know ya remember it all, but you ain't one. You gotta accept it."

River shook her head, "Not possible-"

"Ya just gotta trust me and go back, go and talk to Telphusa. Reckon maybe 'tween both them brains you can figure out the trigger-"

The sound of a body hitting metal startled the pair. Swinging around, Jayne pushed River behind him as he grabbed for the scalpel.

"Reckon that kind of thinking is gonna get you killed again, Jayne." Jayne breathed a slight sigh of relief as Mal stepped into view dragging the unconscious form of the pilot behind him. The captain glanced over the mercenary for a second, hesitation flickering over his face, "You name is Jayne- right?"

"Damn right it is." Dropping the scalpel, Jayne moved over to grab the body's legs, helping Mal tuck it in a corner before relinquishing the body of its weapons. "You got a plan ta get us out of this mess, Capt'n?"

"At the moment- no."

Jayne scowled, "Well think of one real fast- cuz if'n I die after all the damn work and pain I've been though I'm comin straight back to gut ya."

Mal turned back to the mercenary, "Me? Hell it's your own fault we're in this situation. If you hadn't of gone and thrown yourself in front of that bullet you'd never of died and brought all this Janus crap down on us."

"Thrown?" River questioned quietly silencing the two.

A light danced through Jayne's eyes as realization hit him. "I'll be damned." Turning around he moved back over to the girl, grabbing her arms. "You gotta remember. We've done this before. Before the red, before going back."

"What the hell are you talking about, Jayne? Of course she remembers."

"No, she don't. I didn't and I was the damn fool that stepped in front of the bullet." Turning back to River, Jayne gently shook her, "Gorram it, you gotta remember, remember before ya followed me into the black. Remember why I was laying on that bed bleeding, do you remember?"

River shook her head. "Was aimed, aimed at Jayne."

"I stepped in front of that bullet girl, it weren't aimed at me, I stepped into the shot. I died, I died for you once already and your damn brother brought me back. I stepped in front of that ruttin' bullet-"

_Things weren't right. The air of the ship felt cold, the walls spoke of oncoming death, the ship trembling in fear, afraid of what was happening in her bowels. River sat silently listening to the whispers that foretold of red._

_Simon set the bowl of rice before her as he spoke to Kaylee. "How long do you think this will take?"_

"_Not more than a few minutes if'n everything goes well." Kaylee answered back from the kitchen. "This ain't the first time we've done dealings with this lot. They're a greedy bunch but the Capt'n can handle 'em just fine." _

_River pushed the bowl away, her stomach turning. "Isn't right- she's afraid."_

_Simon frowned turning back to his sister, "Whose afraid?"_

_The ship trembled again. River pushed back from the table, jumping to her feet she made a beeline for the cargo bay, heart pounding in tune with the ship, stomach twisting in the familiar fear. The distant sound of voices egged her on, Simon's calling lost in the tumble of noises._

"_What sort of concessions are you talking about?"_

_River stepped forward from the gallery. A toothy grin flashed across the dirty face, the glint of silver flashed out into the open. The gun swung wide, the resounding click and the thundering boom followed after. For only a second she saw the bullet flashing towards her. Then he moved and her heart stopped. The bullet disappeared; the body fell to the floor. The strangled cry of fear was ripped from her lungs as she stumbled forward, Simon's arms wrapping firmly around her waist and pulling her to the ground as the gunfire echoed._

River gave out a small startled shriek, her balance failing she tumbled forward into Jayne, body going limp. Jayne blinked for a second confused. "Reckon that weren't supposed to happen."

"What in the hell did you do now Jayne?"

"I didn't do nothing, she just sorted passed out on me." Jayne shifted the girl in his arms, moving his fingers up to feel for a pulse.

Mal glanced over at the mercenary casually, "She ain't dead is she?"

"Shit Capt'n, nothings beating."

"Damn it to all hell, suppose that means we gotta wait."

Jayne tuned an almost horrified expression on Mal. "She ain't breathing Mal, what have we got ta wait for? Shit, she ain't supposed ta die just suddenly like that, this ain't ever happened before." A hint of panic was racing through Jayne's voice as he awkwardly fumbled with the girl's body. "Shouldn't we be doing C.P.R. or something, can't just let the girl die like this. Ruttin' hell, after everything I went through I ain't just gonna-"

"Will you calm down?" Mal snapped, silencing his panicking mercenary. "Hell Jayne, you've died so many times this past week about the only thing that'll worry me is if you both go down and somebody accidentally buries ya." Shifting his belt, Mal glanced down the corridor. "Now, way I reckon it, you were out for maybe a little less than an hour. So figurin it takes her the same amount of time to do that li'l wakey-wakey thing you've been perfecting - well, we should all be dead by then."

"You talking about those hun duns downstairs." Jayne questioned, cradling the still River to his chest.

"Pirates. While you were taking you little ethereal nap, fate stepped up to fix her mistake in letting you live. They've got the crew cornered and they're gonna start killing people downstairs unless I show up real soon."

"Reckon you'd better head downstairs and save us all some trouble."

Mal ignored the comment, "We'll leave the girl here and figure this situation out. 'Tween the two of us, we might be able to survive." Jayne's grip tightened on River. "Now ain't the time to be playing keeps, Jayne. Sides', I figure with her dead up here, you ain't gonna be steppin' in front of any bullets to save her."

-

"_Did it work?"_

River blinked as the familiar voice questioned her. It took a second to pull her thoughts together, but slowly River pulled herself into a sitting position and glanced over the roman garden. Telphusa knelt beside her, worry etched across her face. Over on one of the benches an unfamiliar- yet distinctly familiar face watched them.

"_Are Jayne and Janus one- did they join?" _There was an undeniable hint of impatience in Telphusa's voice.

"Jayne- Jayne died."

The color drained from Telphusa face, her head shaking rapidly, _"That's not possible, if that were so we'd be returned. We'd be one again, resting in the afterlife, not here, not here locked away from peace." _

River shook her head, "Not dead, but he died, he died for her before. He took the bullet, stepped in front of the bullet meant for her."

"_I'd thought we'd already established that," _Octavia quipped quietly from the bench.

Telphusa glared at her sister before turning back to River,_ "What do you mean?"_

"He had no reason, the Tiber wasn't crossed, weren't in love. Nothing- only little guilt left over for past transgressions."

"_Now? Now she begins to doubt, oh sister dear, these pair are truly a mess to behold."_

"_Octavia please."_

Standing up the elder sister marched across the garden. Grabbing River by the hands she pulled the girl roughly to her feet. _"Fate? Fate does not compel him, fate has never compelled him. It is not your past, your present, or your future that determines his step. It is the failings of the human heart that makes him move, it is Jayne himself. Not enduring love, not a fate driven desire to protect you."_

River's forehead wrinkled, "Doesn't make sense, Jayne doesn't-"

"_Yes, well his actions speak otherwise." _Octavia snorted._ "The only reason the fool dies first is because of his will to keep your heart beating. According to the laws of fate, being bound simply ensures that once one of you fades the other follows. If it were to be tested, I am sure that should the bullet reach your heart first, he would then be cursed to follow."_

"_Octavia," _Telphusa whispered as she pulled herself up._ "I had no idea you knew so much."_

"_Oh, yes- well, I've had a few centuries to look into the matter." _The elder sister managed a causal shrug before turning back to the befuddled River. _"Whatever may have happened in that- mess- you call life, the oaf took actions to see that you survived. Now, the way I see it you can sit there, ponder and fuddle over the revelation or you can do as Jayne did, accept the past and the pain to make sure the poor oaf survives to see his next 50 birthdays."_

_-- _

"I count five of 'em." Jayne whispered to Mal. Below them in the cargo bay, the five pirates watched over the captured crew. Even from this vantage point they both could tell that Wash had been wounded and that Zoe was out of commission, leaving only the Shepard and Kaylee. "Hell captain, that just makes six countin' the fellow you clobbered. What'd ya do, welcome 'em onboard or something?"

"They were armed, you were dead. What was I supposed to do, throw Kaylee and the Shepard at them?"

Jayne snorted, "Well there's only five of 'em now, reckon could handle that by myself. They won't be expecting the dead guy, just the lousy captain that couldn't hold off six armed men."

Mal frowned, ignoring the comment as he watched the group below them. "Something's not making sense. Why haven't they started killing the crew, why aren't they tearing apart the hull looking for me?"

"Maybe they figured out the body ain't on the gurney anymore. Reckon that's enough to fry any man's innards and spook him clean through." Jayne's eyebrow hiked up for a second. "Be mighty fun to waltz down there, I ain't ever come back to life before."

"What are you talking about? This would be your- third time now?"

-

The flash of pain raced through River's body, the fear clenching her heart as the air rushed back into her lungs. River bolted upright, glancing around the ship's dinning room with wide hazel eyes. Pushing herself to her feet she wobbled unsteadily, the kinks in her mind straightening themselves out. "No time left."

The slim girl stumbled over to the pantry door, making quick work of untangling the mess she had made. The door groaned, pulling back to reveal her still unconscious brother. "Simon," River dropped to her knees, gently shaking her brother. "Simon, I need you Simon, need your help. Have to wake up now."

-

"We've searched wide and low," Mick declared. "Shuttles missing, but logs show that departed long 'fore we ever reached the ship. It don't make any kind of sense, Captain. There's got ta be some hidden compartments round this ship, but they ain't listed on the specs."

"Course they ain't, this ship was born and bred for smuggling. What kind of fool tells you where he hides his treasure?" Drew turned, glancing down at his small huddle of prisoners. "Reckon we've waited long enough."


End file.
